


Worlds of Fire and Darkness

by creampuffqueen



Category: A Court of Thorns and Roses Series - Sarah J. Maas, Throne of Glass Series - Sarah J. Maas
Genre: Children, Crossover, Fluff, Multi, Romance, Smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-17
Updated: 2019-07-16
Packaged: 2020-01-15 19:10:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 24,972
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18505264
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/creampuffqueen/pseuds/creampuffqueen
Summary: It’s been years since the war against Maeve and the Valg, as well as years since the war on Hybern. Worlds apart, but suddenly no longer. Both ACOTAR and ToG collide in this book that is mostly for my personal entertainment, but with some plot as well. KoA and ACOWAR/ACOFAS spoilers!!





	1. Chapter One

“She’s so beautiful. So, so, beautiful. She looks like you, you know.”

 

”I know. But she has your eyes.”

 

”I know that, too. But she needs a name, you know. A proper princess should be named.”

 

”I have an idea. You can’t shut me down right away, alright? Hear me out.”

 

”You’re making me worried.”

 

”Don’t be. It’s a good name.”

 

“Well then, let’s hear it.”

 

”I want to name her Lyria. Or Nehemia. I haven’t decided which, yet. But I want her to have one of their names. I think they would like that, to be remembered like that.”

 

”Rowan? What do you think?”

 

”Rowan?”

 

”What about both?” 

 

“What do you mean?”

 

”Lyria Nehemia. Or Nehemia Lyria. She can have two names.”

 

”I- I like Lyria better as the first name. It sounds better.”

 

”Lyria Nehemia it is, then.”

 

”Lyria Nehemia Ashryver Whitethorn Galanthynius.”

 

”That is the longest name I think I have ever heard. Does she really need all of the last names?”

 

”Yes she does, you buzzard. It’s her heritage.”

 

”Well, all joking aside. It’s wonderful. Lyria Nehemia Ashryver Whitethorn Galanthynius. It has a nice ring to it.”

 

”I’m glad you like it.” 

 

“Welcome to Terrassen, little princess.”

 

~~~

 

”Darling? Are you awake?”

 

”I am now. What is it? Is the baby crying?”

 

”No, he’s fine. But I just thought of something.”

 

”Did you, now?”

 

”I have a name. An actual one. A good one, I promise.”

 

”I’m skeptical. But I’ll hear you out.”

 

”We should call him Cirrus. Cirrus Archeron.”

 

”You want him to have my last name?”

 

”Of course, darling. I wouldn’t have it any other way.” 

 

“Cirrus Archeron. It sounds nice.”

 

”I know. That’s the point.”

 

”But...”

 

”Do you have a better idea, Feyre darling?”

 

”No. Cirrus is a wonderful name. But it’s missing something.”

 

”A middle name?”

 

”Perhaps.”

 

”Anyone you would like to name him after? I’ve always found middle names to be good for asserting heritage.”

 

”What about Beddor?”

 

”After Claire?”

 

”Yes.”

 

”Cirrus Beddor Archeron. Sounds better than my idea.”

 

”Hush, you. You came up with the first name. You get the credit for it.”

 

”That’s all I’ve ever wanted.”

 

”By the Cauldron, Rhys. I’m exhausted. We can talk about names in the morning.”

 

”Go to sleep. I’ll watch over Cirrus.”

 

”It seems to fit him, doesn’t it?”

 

”It does.”

 

”Well, then. Hello Cirrus. Welcome to the Night Court.”

 

 


	2. Chapter Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! I hope this chapter sucked a little less than the last one did. Kudos and comments are always appreciated!

"Lyria, get back here!" Aelin's shriek was likely audible throughout the entire palace, and Rowan looked up from his desk in his office to see his three-year old daughter, Lyria Nehemia Ashryver Whitethorn Galathynius, race past the glass doors that separated his office from the rest of the palace. The little girl was only in a diaper and she ran as if the winds themselves were pushing at her heels. Which, he realized a moment later, was accurate. A gust blew strong enough that he felt it through the doors. 

A moment later his mate dashed past, her golden hair unbound, a shirt and pants clutched in her hands as she chased her wayward daughter. "Lyria!" She called, and Rowan stifled a chuckle. He glanced behind him, to the little boy who played quietly next to the couch in his office.

Sam Gavriel Ashryver Whitethorn Galathynius looked like him, with silver hair, but with his mother's blue-and-gold eyes. He was two years old, but despite the closeness of his age to his sister's, he was nearly her complete opposite. He was the quiet to Lyria's loud, the wind to her fire, the music to her noise. At night he loved to listen to his mother read, while Lyria was often bouncing off the walls and begging to stay up later. And now, Sam was fine to play quietly by himself with his toys while his older sister caused a scene.

Despite his children's differences, Rowan adored them both. He hadn't ever thought parenthood would suit him, but so far he seemed to be doing a decent job. He hadn't messed anything up yet, and he hoped he never did. 

"Daddy, look." Rowan turned to his son, whose voice sounded more like a whisper. The boy's face was scrunched in concentration, and after a moment of silence, a flicker of flame fluttered to life in his palm. The fire reflected the gold core of his irises, as well as the joy in his eyes. Sam's powers had been progressing slower than Lyria's. His daughter had both flames and wind at her beck and call, though her control over both was shoddy at best. Sam's powers seemed more inclined toward ice and snow, but an occasional flame made an appearance, as it did now.

"Good job." Rowan praised. "You're getting to be so good at that, Sam." His son's face lit up at the compliment. The flame guttered out, and Sam went back to his toys. Rowan turned back to the paperwork he was fussing over, but was interrupted when Aelin burst through the doors a moment later, a squirming Fae child in her arms.

"C'mon, you. You have to wear clothes and you know it." Rowan looked up at his wife and daughter, the later of whom was squirming desperately and trying to escape her mother's clutches.

"Lyria, it's not proper for a princess to run around without clothes. We have guests tonight, and you want to show them how grown-up you are, right?" Lyria considered her father's words for a moment before nodding.

"Then you will wear clothes. Your brother has on clothes, and you want to be grown-up just like him, don't you?" Lyria stilled, and then sighed and nodded again. Aelin gave her husband a nod of thanks before yanking clothes onto their daughter.

"The hair could use some work." Aelin said with a sigh. "But everyone will be here in a few minutes and we won't have time for anything fancy." Rowan nodded, then pulled his wife into his lap.

"It'll be fine. Nobody is going to judge you because your daughter's hair is a little messy."

"Yes, but people might judge _her_. She's the crown princess, after all."

"I'm choosing to believe that the people of Erilea are not going to judge a three-year-old princess for messy hair. I'd like to think they're better than that."

"You're right, I suppose." Aelin admitted. She picked Lyria up, then let Sam crawl into her own lap. Rowan breathed in softly, letting the scent of his mate and children settle over him. In all of his years, he had never imagined his life would end up like this. But here he was, with the people he loved more than life itself, in a safe world, about to have dinner with their friends. 

A better world, Aelin had promised everyone all those years ago. And this was a better world indeed.

\---

"Mommy. Mommy. Mommmyyyyy." I sighed, and turned to where my young son was tugging on my skirts. 

"What is it, dear? Mommy's a little busy right now."

"I wanna paint." Cirrus Beddor Archeron, heir to the Night Court, was only three years old. And damn me, but I wanted to give him everything. This precious little boy deserved the world, and if that meant letting him into paints, so be it.

Cirrus looked exactly like the form the Bone Carver had taken in my presence, albeit a little younger. Same black hair, same blue-grey eyes. And despite the obvious power that radiated from him, Cirrus would never even hurt a fly. His eyes were wide and pleading as he pointed frantically at the paint palette in my left hand. 

"I wanna paint." He repeated. I put down my brush and palette and scooped him into my arms, relishing the squeal that ensued. I spun him around, and every giggle had my heart lifting. I was still recovering from everything that had happened years ago, but every time I saw my son, at the perfect little boy me and Rhys had created, every bad thing seemed to go away, if only for a while. Cirrus was my joy. And he was Rhys's as well.

I set Cirrus on the ground and reached for the shelf that held the paints I used when teaching youngsters. As much as I wanted to give my baby boy everything, I wasn't going to let him ruin a set of good paints on a whim. I was gathering the brightest of the colors when the bell at the front of the store chimed to announce someone's entrance. 

I put the paints down and hurried to the front, apologies about not being open already on my lips. But it wasn't just any customer. Really, it wasn't even a customer. It was my sisters. Nesta and Elain stood in the front of my store, their own children squirming in their arms. 

"Oh." I said simply. "I wasn't expecting you two. I thought it was customers."

"No. Not today." Elain said breezily. She set her daughter, Elowen, on the ground. The little girl was two, with night-black hair and hazel eyes. She looked so much like Azriel that it was uncanny, her small wings only adding to the likeness. Elain was the only one who called her Elowen, though. To everyone else, she was Winnie. Winnie giggled and raced past me, into the back, where Cirrus was waiting. Cirrus had always been close with his cousins.

His other cousin was Nesta's daughter, Thessalia, who went by Tess. She had dark hair and hazel eyes, and with the Illyrian wings, she looked almost exactly like her father, Cassian. Tess was also set down, and a moment later she had disappeared into the back as well.

"We were going shopping." Nesta said simply. "We wanted to see if you wanted to come with us."

"The market likely has spring flowers." Elain added. "And Nesta needs some clothes."

"I'm sorry, but I can't. There's a painting I want to finish."

Nesta sighed. "Alright. If you're not going, would you mind watching the girls? You know how they can be at the market." I did know. The last time Winnie, Tess, and Cirrus were at the market, they had nearly decimated a stand that sold sweets in their excitement. Only some very quick thinking had kept the whole thing from collapsing. The owner was paid handsomely for the trouble, and had I not been the High Lady, the male might have insisted we never come back.

"Fine." I said, and my sisters nodded their thanks. 

"If I see any new colors I'll be sure to get them for you." Elain promised. And with that, she and Nesta were gone as quickly as they had come. I sighed through my nose and went to do damage control in the back. My son and my nieces had been awfully quiet, and I was suspicious.

As it turned out, I had every right to be suspicious, because the paints I had been gathering for Cirrus to use were now all over the back. Or, more specifically, all over the children. Streaks of green ran through Winnie's hair, and Cirrus's hands were bright purple. Tess had orange paint splattered on her clothes, and even some on her wings. The rest of the paint was squirted from the tubes onto the table, the floor, and the walls. How they had made that big of a mess in just a short amount of time was beyond me.

"What do you three think you're doing?" I asked sternly. Cirrus looked up at me innocently, despite the yellow paint on his forehead.

"Painting." He said simply. He splatted his hand into a puddle of blue and, as I watched, ran it down his white shirt. I groaned softly and took the paint tubes from the childrens' reach.

"Paint does not go on little Faeries." I reprimanded. "Paint does not go on tables, or floors, or walls. Paint goes on paper, and paint goes on canvases. Do you all understand how much work you've just created for me? I have to clean all this up, you know."

Now they all looked guilty. Tess sucked on a tooth and rocked back and forth on her feet, wringing her hands in front of her. Her hands were covered in pink paint.

"Sowwy Aunty Fey-wuh." Winnie finally said. Despite the fact she was already two, some of her teeth were still growing in, giving her a lisp.

"Sorry Aunty Feyre." Tess echoed. I turned my gaze to Cirrus.

"Sorry Mommy."

"Alright, I'm going to get you three something to paint, and then I'm going to clean. I don't want you touching _anything_ while I'm getting your stuff, do you understand?"

After another chorus of 'yes' all around, I turned to the shelves for more paint and for something for them to paint. Strangely, though, I was out of small canvases. I considered giving them one large one, but sharing was not a strong suit for any child at the moment. Then I saw the perfect thing. I had a collection of white ceramic mugs I had been planning to paint as Solstice gifts, but I'd never gotten around to it. I pulled three from the shelf and set them down on the table with the new paints.

"You're going to paint mugs. The paint goes on the cups, not on the table or on each other. Can you all do that for me?" Cirrus, Tess, and Winnie all nodded earnestly. I set them up with the paints and then turned away, to my own abandoned painting. As I descended into my painting zone, I drowned all other sounds out, even the quiet chattering of the children. I hadn't even noticed they'd gone quiet until I turned to get more paint for myself.

All three were fast asleep, heads resting on their arms, or in Winnie's case, directly on the table. Cirrus still had a paintbrush in his chubby baby fingers.

The mugs were painted, all with different colors. Cirrus's was purple and blue, Tess's was green and yellow, and Winnie's was orange and pink. Splatters of paint dusted their hands and hair, but they had amazingly stayed mostly clean. 

I sent the image before me down the bond, to wherever Rhys was at the moment. A heartbeat later, a love-filled purr entered my mind to gaze upon our sleeping son. 

This was what we'd fought for. This was what Rhys and I had both died for, though we didn't know it at the time. 

_I'd do it again in a heartbeat._ I felt Rhys declare from the bond. 

_Me too._ I responded. _Me too._


	3. Chapter Three

"Mommy. Mommy. Mommy, wake up!"

Aelin Ashryver Whitethorn Galathynius mumbled as she woke, the candles around the room lighting as she did. She blinked the sleep from her eyes and glanced down. Sitting on the floor by her bed, her three year old daughter, Evalin, sat. The girl's silver hair reflected the candlelight in the room, and her blue eyes were shining. 

"Mommy! It's Beltane!" Evalin's eyes were bright, and her voice was thick with excitement. Still groggy, it took Aelin a few moments to realize what her daughter was saying.

"Oh- Beltane. Gods, Ev, you're right. But it's so early." A quick glance to the outside confirmed it. It was dark outside, and the grandfather clock in the corner said it was four o'clock. "It's too early for you to be up. You need to go back to bed." 

Speaking of which, how had Evalin gotten to her room in the first place? There were nearly a dozen guards posted in this wing of the palace during the night. Two outside her and Rowan's room, and two outside each child's room. She should have been alerted if any child was out of bed.

Evalin crawled onto the bed, her little hands finding purchase by digging into Aelin's legs. She winced slightly as the child stepped on her arm when she squirmed her way between her parents. Rowan was still fast asleep beside her, and it seemed nothing would wake him, not even being shoved nearly halfway off the bed by an overeager toddler. Evalin pulled the blankets over herself and hunkered down, and before Aelin could even ask what she was doing, her daughter was asleep again.

Aelin snorted and shook her head. She almost thought she had a vague memory of doing the exact same thing herself once; waking her own parents at an outrageously early time because of Beltane excitement. She laughed softly to herself for a moment before kissing her daughter's silver hair and extinguishing the candles. Yes, it was Beltane, but the celebrations could wait a while. 

~~~

The sun was just beginning to peek over the horizon when Aelin was awakened again. This time by a knock on the door. Neither Evalin nor Rowan stirred as she slipped out of bed, threw on a dressing gown, and made her way to the door of her suite.

Standing outside her door were the rest of her children. All of them. Even the littlest ones, Aerith and Thallan. The eldest, Lyria, held Thallan's hand, and Sam had Aerith in his arms. Aspen stood next to them, peering up with his pine-green eyes.

"What are you all doing up? It's barely five in the morning." 

"We're too excited to sleep." Sam said softly.

"It's Beltane!" Lyria laughed. "You don't expect us to sleep in, do you?" 

Aelin laughed and ushered them all in, taking Aerith from Sam and hoisting her up on a hip. Inside the suite, Rowan was finally up, though his green eyes were still bleary with sleep. Evalin was still out cold, and was buried under so many blankets that only her silver hair could be seen.

"It's Beltane, Dad!" Lyria squealed. She ran over and launched herself onto the bed, and would have slammed right into Rowan's chest had he not put his hands up and stopped her mid-air. Lyria giggled and pulled herself away, crawling over the bed until she was next to Evalin.

The rest of the children got onto the bed, and Aerith squirmed until Aelin put her down as well. 

"Eviiiiii... get up..." Lyria said softly, her lips next to her little sister's ear. "It's Beltane, Evi, remember? With the fires? And the music?" Evalin growled softly from beneath the blankets, eliciting a squeal from Lyria. "Get up, Evi!" She trilled.

Evalin burst from her blanket pile and tackled Lyria, causing her sister to fall backwards onto the mattress. 

"Fight!" Aspen cheered. 

"No, no fight." Aelin said, plopping herself down on the bed and separating her daughters. "We don't fight on Beltane." When she tugged her two girls apart, ready to scold them, they were both laughing. Aelin caught Rowan's gaze and rolled her eyes, though neither could keep the smile from their face. 

"I think it's too early for all this nonsense." Rowan said. "The sun's not fully risen yet. Everyone, back to bed."

And just as Evalin had earlier, all the children found a place in their parents' bed and tucked themselves in, giving them all horrifyingly innocent smiles as they did so. 

And just like Evalin had, all the children were soon fast asleep.

Aelin got up from the bed, chuckling, and turned to face Rowan, who was standing as well. Without a word, he tucked her into his side and kissed her hair, breathing steady. 

And Aelin didn't know if they stood there for minutes or hours, but she didn't really care. Didn't care how long they stood there, watching their sleeping children.

\---

"Camille, stay awake. It's going to start soon." I glanced at my daughter, who was half-asleep in her father's arms. Camille was six years old, and having major trouble staying awake. Of course, when I actually wanted her to stay up late and refuse to go to bed, she was nodding off. Thankfully, Cirrus was doing better. On the balcony where we sat, he stood at the railing, looking out at the night sky.

Even after years and years living in the Night Court, I never tired of this view. The night sky, from up in the sky. And tonight it seemed more beautiful than usual. It was, after all, Starfall. 

Inside the House of Wind, the party was still going strong. I could hear the music and the voices from here. Rhys and I still had champagne glasses in our hands. However, we'd decided to be alone as a family when the stars began to fall. 

If only they would fall, though. We'd been out here for the better part of an hour, and nothing to show from it except a little girl who was minutes away from falling asleep. 

"I'm going to put Camille in a room." Rhys said softly. He made to stand up, but Cirrus turned from where he'd been watching the sky at the railing.

"No, something's going to happen." He insisted. "I know it's going to happen soon. Camille, you have to stay awake!" I looked at my son curiously. 

"I won't be long." Rhys promised. "But Camille's falling asleep, and it's cold out, Cirrus."

"Stay outside." Cirrus insisted. "It's going to happen soon! I know it!" 

I opened my mouth to take Rhys's side, explanations already prepared. But then-

"Camille! Look!" Cirrus cheered. He pointed to the dark sky. And there, from one edge of the horizon, I saw it. A falling star.

Cirrus cheered and danced around, still pointing, as the star flew across the sky. And another. And another. More and more joined it, so many stars.

Camille was awake in Rhys's arms, her violet eyes wide with wonder. Star after star fell through the sky, so, so many stars. Everyone inside had gone quiet, and I could see people, humans and faeries and Fae alike, staring up at the night sky with joy evident on their faces.

I had never seen so many stars before. Even _Rhys_ hadn't seen that many stars before, he confirmed through the bond. 

Cirrus shouted, and when I looked over, he was laughing at the glowing green goo in his hair, streaked across his face. Camille dashed over to him and held up her arms. A moment later another star splatted into her chest, and Cirrus caught her before she hit the floor. Both children were laughing and smiling and dancing, flinging goo at each other with a squeal.

I drifted over and held out my arms. A star crashed into me, and soon my hands and arms were glowing. I heard Rhys's chuckle, and a moment later strong arms wrapped around my waist, and a chin rested on my shoulder. I turned slightly to kiss his cheek as we watched our children play.

Cirrus chased Camille around the balcony with his green hands, and their laughs were the most beautiful thing I'd ever heard. All around us, I heard peoples' laughs and cries of joy as the stars fell, and fell, and fell.

"A Starfall to remember." Rhys breathed. He held his own hand up to catch star. When his hand was glowing with green goo, he pulled me close. He gently laid his glowing hand on my stomach. "Though maybe the next one will be more memorable, what with a new little one and all."

"Shh." I said, though I couldn't help but smile. "They don't know yet."

Rhys laughed and kissed my cheek. "Of course, darling."

I sighed happily and turned back to the children. They were both hanging onto the rail of the balcony, reaching towards the sky, hands covered in stars. 

No, I realized. _This_ was the view I would never tire of. Never, not in a thousand years.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, so this is really the last of the "prologue" chapters. The rest of the chapters from now on will be both first person and in the POV of an original child character. The characters will also be older in the next chapter. I hope you all enjoyed this, make sure to leave some kudos and comments! Love y'all so much!


	4. Lyria

"Sam, get down from there!" I shouted. "Just because you lost doesn't mean you get to quit! Come down here and fight me, and stop being so pissy!"

High up in a tree, me younger brother by only a year glowered at me from beneath his curtain of silver hair. I didn't even know how he got up there; one moment he was on the ground, and when I turned to collect my fallen sword from the ground, he was up a tree.

That was typical Sam, though. He was a scholar, not a warrior. He preferred books and music and learning than the wild song of battle and magic. Despite the fact I was only a year older than him, he was miles behind me in the latter department. Sometimes our younger brother Aspen could beat him in a fight, and he was only fifteen. Sam was nineteen.

"We have to finish, if we don't Dad will have our hides!" I called, but he ignored me. In fact, he just climbed higher. "Aspen isn't going to cover for you today. Dad's caught onto your little scheme and he's training with Mom today. Get down here and lets finish what we started!" When he continued to ignore me, I flashed him a vulgar gesture, which he also ignored. I groaned and turned away, snarling under my breath.

"Maybe this is part of training." Sam's delicate voice floated across the clearing, soft enough that I knew I'd only heard him because of my Fae hearing. I whipped my head around to glare at him again, at the very small smirk that was nearly hidden. "Maybe you need to practice climbing, dear sister. How do you think I got up here so fast?"

"You got up there so fast because you're a fucking bird." I hissed. "And nice save, pretending to be training still when we both know you're just a sore loser."

I'd struck a nerve. I saw it in his eyes, that had been full of light teasing moments before, now hardened in frustration. Sam said nothing more and shimmied up another branch, hurt flashing in his turquoise eyes. I cursed myself over and over as I watched him climb. _Bastard, you're a bastard._

It was true, Sam was a sore loser. But that didn't give me the right to tease him about it. He was bad at fighting, and magic, and he hated not being good at them. But instead of practicing and getting better, he opted to avoid it altogether and focus on things that came more naturally to him. _Besides,_ he often insisted, _there is peace in the land. Why would we need to learn to fight?_

"Sam, I'm sorry." I said. I didn't bother raising my voice; I knew he could hear me. From the top of the tree, he glared at me, his silver hair floating on the wind. "Sam, I'm sorry." I repeated. "I'm sorry, that was insensitive of me. I should know better by now." He didn't budge.

"We can take a break. Dad won't have to know. Just please come down from there."

With a dramatic sigh to rival our mother, Sam shifted in a flash. A red-tailed hawk sat where he once was, clicking his beak angrily. Red-tailed hawks were common in these areas, and the only proof it was my brother were the hawk's eyes. Unnatural blue-and-gold eyes graced the hawk. Sam spread his wings and gently dove to the forest floor, landing on a patch of moss. Another flash later, and he was standing face-to-face with me. 

Sam sighed through his nose and crossed his arms. "Well, get on with it then. Go ahead, kick my ass again."

I groaned, "didn't I just say we could take a break?"

"I don't trust you."

"I'm your sister. And your crown princess. Cut the crap, Sam."

"You cut the crap. C'mon, hit me."

"With the way you're egging me on, I'm tempted to now."

Sam rolled his eyes. "We have one hour before Dad collects us. So we may as well get going."

"Literally two minutes ago you were sitting in a tree looking like you wanted to live there for the rest of your life. You don't get to tell me to 'get going'." I snarled. "And if you're so desperate for a fight, then you should go ahead and hit _me._ A true warrior is ready to back up his threats."

"You sound exactly like Uncle Aedion." Sam chuckled. "And for the record, my opinion of a good warrior is one who never throws the first punch-"

Before he could finish his sentence, I pounced. We slammed into the ground, rolling away from each other a moment later. We were both back on our feet a heartbeat later, Fae speed and balance assisting us. I jumped close enough to throw a right hook, which Sam dodged with surprising ease. Growling, I swung for him again, this time catching his shoulder. He went down like a sack of potatoes. I leapt atop him, hammering his chest, though softer than I would have gone with a real opponent. Sam would have some bruises, sure, but had he been a real attacker, his chest would have likely caved in. Sam's hands wrapped around my wrists, and he pryed me away from him with force I didn't know he even possessed. Maybe my little brother had been practicing. But from the surprised look on his face as he shoved me off him, I knew he hadn't been.

We were back on our feet, circling like wolves. This time, instead of lashing out with my hands, I sent a spear of wind racing for him. It caught him in his already bruised chest, and I heard his snarl of pain. He sent his own magic at me, more like a wave than a spear. I threw up a shield of flame that only burned brighter and hotter as the wind hammering into it, feeding it. Sam growled at me, the fire illuminating his eyes. Instead of wind, he send arrows of ice for the fire, only for them to be melted away as soon as they touched the flames.

A frustrated howl entered my ears, and Sam dove for me. The bastard knew the flames wouldn't hurt him. He knew _I_ wouldn't hurt him, not with magic. Sure enough, he blasted through my fiery shield and tackled me to the ground. The fire sputtered out as I lost focus on it and instead focused on beating the living shit out of my brother. I struggled beneath his bulk, so much like our father, but soon managed to get out on top. Anger flared as I pummeled him, slamming his arms, his shoulders, his writhing legs. 

"Stop it, Lyria." Sam managed to choke out between punches. His nose was dripping blood onto the grass. Hissing, I rolled off him, the anger boiling in my blood not nearly satisfied enough.

"You absolute _bastard!_ " I shrieked. "You _knew_ the fire wasn't going to hurt you, and you took advantage of it! That's not what the point of this all is!"

"Could have fooled me." Sam shrugged nonchalantly. "I thought that in a real battle you would want to exploit every weakness you knew."

"Yes, but-" That insufferable smirk returned. One of the only traits beyond her eyes and some of her powers that Sam had inherited from our mother. "I'm not talking to you anymore."

"That's alright, because look who it is." I turned to where my brother was pointing. A white-tailed hawk crested the tops of the trees, his pine-green eyes visible even from here. Sam and I quickly stood up and brushed ourselves off as our father landed and shifted before us. 

Dad looked us up and down, his lips tightening slightly as he took in Sam's bloody nose and growing bruises. "You both need to see the healers before tonight. Your mother will not be happy if her children show up to a fancy dinner covered in bruises and dripping blood all over the palace." 

I chuckled, and nodded. "Of course." Dad looked us over again, then the clearing we were standing in.

"Lyria, you need to learn to focus more when using your fire. Do you see the singed grass? We don't need you starting a forest fire. Sam, you need to not just let her beat on you. Defend yourself. You're not helpless and you know it." Sam and I nodded again, giving respectful dips of our heads.

"Collect your weapons and let's leave. We have around two hours before dinner starts." 

I fake gasped, clutching a hand to my chest. "Only two hours? I'll never be ready in time!" Sam snorted, and I flashed him a gesture our father chose not to see. Dad just smiled. "Let's go, you two."

I grabbed my sword and strapped it to my back, and hooked the two sheathed knives into my belt. Sam did the same with his sword and daggers. Dad gave us a nod, and then he and Sam shifted and took off for the skies. Rolling my eyes, I raced after them, letting the wind fill my veins as I ran. I heard the screeches of hawks overhead as I dashed through the forest. 

I didn't care that I'd inherited so much from my mother that I didn't even have another form. It had bothered me when I was younger, when I could never shift, and my two-year old siblings could. But now, I was glad of it. My mother and I were the ones who always got to go on foot, and experience the true feeling of running like the wind. My feet barely touched the ground as I ran, faster and faster, a wild sort of feeling taking over. I couldn't help myself from letting out a whoop of joy at the sensation.

I crested a hill, and the grand city of Orynth came into full view. The two hawks above me screeched their taunts, and I ran like hell for the castle. I flew down the cobblestone streets, letting my Fae instincts take over to keep me from hitting anything; or any _one_ for that matter. People gawked in the streets and from buildings, but that did nothing to slow me down. I made my way to the palace, letting out cheerful greetings to the guards at the gates before racing onto the castle grounds. I could have sworn I heard a few shout a greeting back.

I reached the steps of the palace and slowed down, nearly skidding to a halt. I leaned over, hands on my knees, and panted. My golden hair fell in my face, but I couldn't bring myself to care. I knew I really shouldn't have been this tired, but then again, I was out of practice and had just trained. I caught my breath quickly and wiped the sweat from my brow. I looked up at the sky to search for the birds of prey I'd been racing, but they were nowhere to be found. I grinned. I had never beaten them before. 

A tap on my shoulder had me nearly leaping into the skies myself. How the _hell_ had they snuck up on me? I turned and had to clamp my mouth shut to keep out the stream of curses working its way through my mind. It was Sam. The blood on his nose had crusted over, and one of his eyes had blackened. So it turned out I was last again after all.

Sam seemed to sense my train of thoughts, because his smirk grew. "Looks like in this category, I'm better than you." He chuckled. 

I rolled my eyes and linked our arms. "Whatever. Let's get to the healer before you drip blood everywhere, dummy."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Sorry that it's been a while, but I have been so so busy with school, since it's the end of the year and all. I really hope you guys like this chapter! Please feel free to leave comments; I don't bite!


	5. Cirrus

"Cirrus, what in the Cauldron's name are you doing in a linen closet?" I grinned up at Nuala from where I was curled into a ball beneath a shelf. 

"Hiding from Cali." I said. "I may or may not have swiped a set of earrings she was planning on wearing tonight at the House." The half-wraith sighed and didn't speak anymore, instead reaching up to gather sheets and pillowcases from the shelves above me. She knew, as did everyone else, how Caliphe, my eight-year-old sister, reacted to people going too near her things. It was likely a trait she'd gotten from her favorite aunt, Amren, who she was never far from. 

"The heir to the Night Court, hiding from an eight-year-old in a closet." Nuala muttered to herself as she finished gathering the sheets and shut the door. I was again enclosed in darkness, though I didn't particularly mind. It would be a travesty for the heir to the Night Court to be afraid of the dark. 

However, being curled up in a ball for so long wasn't doing any good for my situation. Cali was likely sitting by herself and chuckling at the hell she'd raised, not lurking around the corner to ambush me. But I was determined. I was _not_ getting my ass beaten by my baby sister. It wasn't that Cali was particularly strong, just the simple fact that she could be terrifying enough at times to throw off even our uncle Cassian during training. My mother and father often joked that, should they have another child, it would never be allowed around Amren until it was twenty, just so they wouldn't end up with another little Caliphe.

I finally decided that I'd had enough. My muscles were crying out from being so cramped for so long, and I'd lost feeling in both of my feet. I slipped out of the linen closet and stretched gratefully, even summoning my wings and spreading them for good measure. Like my father and mother, my sisters and I could summon our wings at will, unlike our uncles Azriel and Cassian, and our cousins Tess and Winnie. It was likely due to our diluted Illyrian blood and our mother's shape-shifting abilities. I'd never given it much thought, though, and was instead just happy I could fly.

I rounded a corner and made my way to the stairs. I was halfway down them when a female war cry sounded from above, and a moment later Cali swooped down and tackled me. We rolled the rest of the way down the stairs, and both landed miraculously unharmed at the foot of them. My sister gave me no time to recover before she shoved me down with both hands and bound me to the floor with whips of darkness. 

I didn't even bother putting up a fight. My parents loved all of their children, but Cali had them wrapped around her finger. She would get off scot-free from this encounter, I just knew it. 

My sister leapt off me and proudly examined her work. "That'll teach you to steal my earrings, you bully. Tell me where they are, and I'll set you free." Never mind that I could burst from her trap with half a thought. 

"Aunt Mor's room, second drawer in the dresser from the top. They're inside a purple blouse." 

Caliphe nodded, and a moment later, the darkness around my limbs disappeared. By the time I got to my feet, my little sister was already bounding up the stairs. Rolling my eyes, I soon found myself in the living room, sitting on the couch next to my other sister. Camille was lost in another book, and I decided against bothering her. A few moments later, my father walked into the room.

"One hour countdown, Camille. Are you ready to go?" Dad asked. Cam nodded absently, waving him off. He shrugged and turned to me, "What about you, Cirrus? Ready?" 

"I think I'll go brush my hair again. Cali just tackled me to the floor for stealing her earrings."

"Serves you right," Camille muttered. "An honorable male never steals a female's jewelry." 

Dad smirked, nodding at my sister. "She's right, you know. I still have a scar from when I took a necklace from Amren as a joke. Cali's like Amren, but even smaller." We both shared a chuckle at that.

I winnowed back into my room, not feeling like taking two flights of stairs to get to it. The house was very open concept, but unlike Caliphe, my wings were now too big to fly inside without breaking anything. I grabbed a brush from my dresser and stood in front of the mirror, trying to smooth it. I eventually slicked it back with a splash of water, and that was that. I dusted off my clothes and made sure my wings weren't dirty, and I was ready. 

I winnowed back to the living room, and found my mother waiting, as well. She gave me a nod, and then surveyed my sister. Camille's hair was still in a braid from training earlier, and her pants had mud on them. My father noticed her gaze, and with a snap, the mud was gone. Cam didn't even look up from her book. 

"Camille, please go up and change, at least." Mom sighed. "This is going to be a formal dinner, you know." Groaning, Camille closed her book with a smack and slid off the couch. A half a moment later, and she was gone. Just as she left, Cali came down the stairs, black hair gleaming. The red earrings I'd jokingly taken earlier were on proud display, and her head was held high. Her dress matched the jewels, a red that a few shades too light to be the color of blood. Mom and Dad both nodded approvingly, before turning back to the stairs to watch for Camille.

It felt like hours later, though I knew it was barely fifteen minutes, when Camille appeared at the top of the stairs. She'd let her brown-gold hair down, and the purple of her simple dress matched the violet of her eyes. I could even see the dark lines where khol lined her eyes. She was stunning, as usual. Now that she'd grown into herself more, my fourteen-year-old sister may have been the most confident person in the room.

"You look beautiful, dear." Dad said. "Now let's go." Camille nodded, and a few moments later we were all walking out the door of our house, hand in hand, off to dinner with our family.

~~~

"Hey Winnie!" I crowed as I landed in the large open dining room of the House. My cousin stood by the window, grinning, a few tendrils of shadows making themselves known by snaking over her knuckles. Like her father, Azriel, Winnie was a shadowsinger. Though, unlike uncle Az, Winnie was one of the most talkative females I knew. And I had an eight-year-old chatterbox of a sister.

Tess found us a moment later, draping and arm over Winnie's shoulders. The two of them looked nearly like twins, with their dark hair and hazel eyes. I knew I looked similar, but I had my mother's eyes. Tess's hair was curled nicely, and her light yellow dress was beautiful. Winnie was dressed similarly, though in dusty pink. Both females had siphons on their wrists, still, likely from training earlier. 

"Good evening, ladies," I purred. "Exactly how many males have you beaten to the dirt since I last saw you two?" Because with their fathers being commanders, my cousins spent a majority of their time together in the Illyrian war-camps. Now that they were of age, they were starting to get proposals. So far, my cousins had rendered every male immobile for a few days in around five minutes. Last time I was in the camp, their record was a minute and eighteen seconds.

"Three this morning makes twenty-three for me." Tess said savagely. I gave her a grinning nod.

"Only sixteen." Winnie sighed with a pout. "But then again, I was working on the garden for most of today." She was silent for a moment before she spoke again. "My father snuck up on me, though. He almost got his fingers removed with a gardening trowel."

"There's a first time for everything." I chuckled. "And only you, Winnie Archeron, could nearly take someone's hand off with a gardening trowel."

"She has a gift for it." Tess said with a smirk. The conversation soon dissolved into chatter and laughter that had me nearly doubled over. I had always fit in so well with my two cousins, sometimes even more so than my sisters. Perhaps it was the closeness in age, or maybe the fact we all received similar training. Whatever the reason, I was grateful for it. I honestly couldn't imagine life without the closeness to my two cousins.

Of course, I did have other cousins. Winnie had a whole slew of siblings. But they were closer to Camille and Caliphe's age. 

Winnie opened her mouth to say something, but was cut off by her mother, Elain, calling us all over. We made our way to the table and took our seats. My mother was deep in conversation (and in a glass of wine) with my aunt Mor, and aunt Nesta sat by aunt Elain. My father sat with his two brothers, and aunt Amren had somehow found herself next to Cali. 

Incredibly, the night was civil so far. I just prayed to the Mother it could stay that way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so the plot thickens. A little. Also, after rereading ACOWAR, I realized just how much I ship Elriel??? Like wow?? So this chapter gets a little makeover, as does chapter three to... make things my way lol.


	6. Sam

Lyria and I spent barely five minutes with the healer before she sent us away. She healed our bruises and scrapes, and even eased the ache of training. Despite her efforts, I still ached for a hot bath. I made sure that a servant was sent to draw me a bath before I walked Lyria to her room. I was still reeling from our sparring match and our argument; still trying to tell what was real and what wasn't.

I hardly spoke to my sister on the way to her suite, except to promise to take her down to dinner. She didn't make an effort to, so I didn't either. Her unusual silence left me to stew in my thoughts of the afternoon. What I had done. Making my way back to my own chambers, I replayed every conversation we'd had in an attempt to figure out what was going on. Was Lyria mad at me? Was she joking? I could never tell, and it was bothering me.

Steam was wafting from my bathing chambers as I walked inside my room, the scent of oils and herbs hitting me a moment later. With a grateful sigh I peeled off my sweaty clothes and eased into the large porcelain tub. The water was nearly blistering hot, how I liked it. Lyria often wondered how I could stand such temperatures, how I was okay to have my skin red and angry every time I bathed. With her magic leaning more towards flames, she didn't understand how the heat could soothe my core of ice. My other siblings, my father too, they knew.

I sank deeper into the water, wetting my hair and scrubbing my hands through it. The heat was relaxing my tense limbs, and I couldn't help but close my eyes.

When I woke up the sun was setting.

Cursing madly, I scrambled out of the bath and wiped off with a towel, not focused enough to dry myself with my flames. My hair was dripping water down my back and onto the plush carpet as I dug through my wardrobe frantically. Had mother mentioned a dress code? I couldn't remember. I opted for the safe route, Terrasen green with silver embroidery. If I didn't match and instead stuck out like a sore thumb, at least I was wearing my house colors.

I was trying to button my jacket and brush my hair at the same time, and was failing terribly. I threw the brush to the ground to fix the buttons that I'd gotten mixed up, then turned around to look for my belt. I had just put it down, how could one lose a belt buckle in two minutes?! I dropped to the floor and was in the process of searching under the furniture when a knock sounded on my door. I was under the dresser, and the knock had me slamming into the underside. I cursed again at the pain sprouting in my head and slipped back out to answer the door.

Lyria stood before me, impatiently tapping her foot. She took one look at my wet hair, my mismatched buttons, my missing belt, and just sighed. "Sam, you're a mess." Not giving me time to answer, she stepped into my room and shut the door behind her, and then she was reaching for my hair. 

"How long were you in the bath?" She drawled, flicking her wrist and drying my hair instantly. I flinched at the feeling and I saw her dip her head to hide her soft laugh. "Did you fall asleep or something?"

"Yeah." I muttered. I pushed her away gently and unbuttoned my shirt so I could button it again, properly. She nodded and looked around my room for the belt. A heartbeat later, she produced it from where it had fallen behind the chair I'd set it on. She passed it to me and I finally finished getting dressed. Thankfully I seemed to be fitting in; Lyria was in a flowing gown of dark green that matched my own tunic. 

My sister smiled at me and linked her arm with mine, and then we were out the door. She said nothing about my earlier promise to get her at her rooms, instead opting for silence. It was strange. My golden-haired sister was usually so talkative, chattering on about anything and everything. Was she still trying to make sense of the afternoon? We hadn't done much different than we usually did, but something about the encounter seemed off. We'd argued, sometimes worse than what we'd said earlier. But something was different.

I couldn't take it anymore, the silence. So I did something I hardly ever did. I spoke first.

"About this afternoon," I said cautiously. "I didn't mean to offend you. I did take advantage of you, and I'm sorry."

If she was surprised by me speaking up, Lyria didn't say. She merely shook her head and said, "I'm not mad. I'm just... tired. It's not your fault." And then she was quiet again.

Before I had the chance to push about it, we arrived at the Great Hall. Mom and Dad were already there, in the same green scheme as the rest of us. Aspen and Evalin were there as well, looking bored. The twins were no where to be seen, though they were probably right behind us. Lyria and I made our way to our thrones of oak and emerald and took a seat to wait. I was sitting to my father's left, Aspen to my own left. When Thallan arrived, he would sit to Aspen's left. Lyria, on the other hand, sat on Mom's right, with Evalin to her right and Aerith to her further left. At the foot of my mother's throne sat Fleetfoot, asleep already. The dog was older than I was, yet not a single gray hair was on her muzzle. A puzzle for another day.

As predicted, the twins arrived mere moments after us, and took their respective seats. We all wore green tonight. 

With everyone seated, Mom waved to one of the guards at the front doors, signaling that we were ready. Leaning back into the oak wood, I could have fallen asleep again, were it not an important event I was supposed to be monitoring and participating in. The windows were open, allowing the spring breeze inside to weave around us, ruffling hair and carrying the scent of pine and flowers. 

Springtime. This time every year was the Annual Peace ball, held in different locations every year. Celebrating the defeat of Maeve and Erawan. I'd attended the ball in many different places; Rifthold, Anielle, the Western Wastes, the Southern Continent. However, this was definitely not the first year it was held in Terrasen. Guests would soon be arriving from everywhere. Today, however, was the day the Lords and Ladies of Terrasen arrived. 

We waited for maybe fifteen minutes, and in that time I had sent about eight angry gusts in Thallan's direction, warning him to be quiet. I was getting ready to send a ninth when the guards at the front doors stepped away, opened the doors, and lifted the trumpets to their lips to blow the two-note summons. I sat up straight in my seat, reigning in my winds.

"The Lord and Lady of Caraverre." The guards announced, and my aunt and uncle made their way into the hall. Behind them came their daughter, my cousin, Asceline Ashryver. She wore a dress of deep blue, a shade that highlighted the turquoise in her eyes so much I could see them even from my high vantage point. 

The Ashryvers made their way to the foot of the dias our thrones were seated on and bowed deeply. When they lifted their heads, I could see my mother's radiant smile as she spoke.

"Lysandra, Aedion, Asceline. Welcome back to Orynth." Mom dug her nails into the wood of her throne as if it were an effort not to stand up and embrace her friends. Knowing her, it likely was. I flashed Asceline a smile, and she offered a smirk in return. I snorted softly and shook my head. Typical Asceline. The Ashryvers finished the standard greetings, then made their way to the side wall to stand and wait for the others.

It wasn't long before the horns blared again, this time to announce the arrival of my other cousin, Evangeline Ashryver, Lady of Arran. She'd only been Lady for about three years, ever since Lord Darrow passed. After her greetings she went to stand by the rest of her family. Out of the corner of my eye I caught Asceline happily embracing her older sister.

Other Lords and Ladies came, some with children, some without. The routine soon became monotonous, and I found myself zoning out. I gave out the mindless greeting required, but did nothing beyond. I felt bad for Asceline, forced to endure this all, but without a chair to sit in. The wall became crowded quickly, and I thought we were done. However, the horn blared again, and I scrambled around in my thoughts, trying to remember who was left.

Perranth. _Duh._ I cursed myself as the guards announced the Lord and Lady of Perranth. How could I have forgotten Perranth, the next biggest city in Terrasen, next to Orynth?

I was still mentally kicking myself when said Lord and Lady appeared, along with all of their children. How could i have forgotten Perranth, when they had a brood to rival that of my own parents.

Elide and Lorcan stopped at the throne and bowed, along with their gangly group of sons. They had five sons, born one after the other, every single one dark haired, dark eyed, and freckled. They also had a little girl, and she bowed along with her brothers, while holding the hand of her eldest brother, Folas. When they stood up straight again, I didn't miss the small look between Lyria and Folas. Something to tease her about later, I supposed. But first, _food._

When everyone was on the wall, Mom and Dad finally stood up and stepped off the dias. We all followed, with me grabbing the arm of Evalin to escort her to the dining room. The dining hall was large, which was good. There were so many people i didn't really know what to do, and in the following days, even more would be coming. After all, the _entire_ royal family from the Southern Continent was invited to the Peace Ball. 

I led Evalin to her seat, and then found mine, which was sat between Lyria and Asceline, and across from all of the Lochan children. Gods, they all looked so similar, I couldn't even tell which one was directly across from me. Silently cursing Elide and Lorcan for having a brood of near-identical children, I was saved from future awkwardness by Lyria addressing him directly: Folas.

Oddly, Lyria wouldn't even catch my eye. She always did at fancy dinners, to let me know I was not the only one wishing it was already over. But not a single glance in my direction.

Feeling put off, I turned my attention to Asceline. And though she was engaged in conversation with me, I followed her stare across the table to the youngest Allsbrook son, Leo. Groaning internally, I decided that the gods were not in my favor tonight conversation-wise and resolved myself to a quiet evening.

However, when my acute Fae hearing picked up exactly what was being said between Folas and Lyria, I decided that perhaps a quiet nigh wasn't to be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ey sorry if this sucked and I'm sorry for being so absent. I've got finals to prepare for and all; I'll be much more active once school is out. Kudos and comments are always appreciated, I love to hear from you!


	7. Asceline

I hated to admit it, but dinner in Orynth was always more fun than dinner in Caraverre. Dinner in my land was a quiet affair, and sometimes I felt like I was intruding on my parents' date. Especially ever since Evangeline left to permanently live in Arran. At home I ate my food and made small talk, and then went to bed. My parents would ask what I had done during the day, but they already knew. 

In Orynth, my cousins were always there at the very least. Lyria and Sam were like siblings to me, and the other four Galathyniuses were a riot, to say the least. I could entertain them for hours with my shifting. We usually came to Orynth, though, when events like this were happening. The Peace Ball was a week away, and for the whole week I would be spending time with both my cousins and my friends.

The Lochans were something else. There were just as many of them as there were Galathyniuses, but they always felt more intense. Though that was mostly Marion being Marion. The little girl was a demon. 

Miran Owen was here, sitting quietly and eating, likely monitoring the conversations around him. Nox Owen's son, he and his family were always invited because of Nox's accomplishments in the war. The Allsbrooks, too, were here. Which meant Leo. 

I was staring. Leo looked away from his sister, Rose, and caught my eye. My cheeks heated up and I averted my gaze back to Sam, who had gone very still beside me. 

"Sam?" I asked softly, reaching to touch his arm. My older cousin shifted suddenly, turning so fast away from me it was startling. Confused, I turned as well to see what had gotten his attention. It was Lyria, her face resting in her hands as she gazed at Folas Lochan. Her pine green eyes were far away from here and she had some sappy smile glued to her face, the same way her own gaze seemed attached to the Lochan boy. 

Oh. _that's_ why Sam was looking the way he was. Confusion danced his eyes, mostly, but there was a small bit of betrayal. I held back my snort. Did he not know about Lyria and Folas? Well, this was more interesting that Caraverre, and we'd barely sat down.

"You're so funny." Lyria giggled, almost girlishly, making me hide my cringe. If Folas noticed, he didn't care, because he just kept talking. Even though we were seated fairly close, the sheer amount of people at the long table made it hard for me to hear, and I wished I had Fae hearing. I could have shifted my ears, but that would cause too much distraction. And I was here for the drama.

Lyria had told me of her massive crush on Folas several months earlier, on a visit. She'd spent the whole day going on and on about him, and if I didn't know him personally I would have thought he was a god. But of course, I'd grown up with the Lochans and was not fooled by some love-struck princess. The thought had me making extra sure I wasn't looking at Leo again. Love-struck princess indeed.

"And he said, 'think you can beat me that easily, little half-breed? Well think again!' and then he tried to grab me, but I was too fast-" Folas was animatedly telling a tale of how he'd gotten one of the guards fired from the estate. Lyria looked entranced, and Sam looked like he wanted to disappear into the plush seats and beat up his sister at the same time.

"That's not what happened!" From beside her brother, little Marion piped up, stabbing a few green beans on her fork and shoving them in her mouth. 

"You weren't there," Folas protested. "And chew with your mouth closed or Mom will have a fit." In response Marion smacked her food loudly, showing off the green mush in her mouth. I nearly gagged. Sam looked slightly green at my side. 

"I saw him after, he wasn't beat up." Marion pointed her fork at Folas accusingly before scooping a lump of mashed potatoes and smacking on those. "You're a liar!" She squealed around her food. Marion abandoned her utensils at this point and simply picked up her cut of roast chicken between her fingers. Now even Folas looked nauseous. 

"Well maybe I exaggerated a bit-" 

"Liar liar pants on fire. Lyria should light your pants on fire for being a liar." Marion nodded decisively, flicking her dark hair out of the way. Somehow, in her rampage on the food, it had come undone from the braid it was in.

"I'm not lighting anyone's pants on fire, Marion." Lyria's voice was normal again, thank gods, not in the stupid high pitch it was whenever Folas so much as looked at her.

"Maybe I will. You should watch out tonight, big brother." Folas had the good sense to shudder only after his little sister turned away. Sabron, the next oldest Lochan boy, seemed inclined to take the little one away and deposit her back to her parents, which I thought was a good idea. To spare my stomach from looking at the way Marion was eating, I glanced the other way, down the long table. 

I wondered if Leo could sense when people were looking at him. Because he seemed deep in conversation with my sister, Evangeline, but the moment I turned my gaze his way he stopped talking and looked back at me. I didn't even have time to feel a pang of jealousy at him talking to my sister (Even though she was nearly twice his age) because I was too busy trying not to combust under his eyes. 

I don't know what it was about Leo. In all honesty most would expect me to be attracted to his sister, Rose. She was as perfect as perfect could be. Maybe it was the way Leo seemed different than all the others I'd liked in the past. He was different, I was sure. And normally had no problem expressing my feelings, but with Leo I turned into a stuttering mess. As I was now. My whole face was probably red. I looked away, deciding to risk Marion's food massacre instead of... whatever was happening.

I had missed a large chunk of conversation while staring at Leo, and was completely confused. Lyria was back to her stupid girly grin, fluttering her lashes at Folas told another undoubtedly false tale. I'd fought him before, and he was strong, but not strong enough to take down Vaughan, as he was describing. It was good that he'd at least decided to tell falsehoods about someone who wasn't present tonight to prove him wrong.

"Liar liar." Marion chanted, mouth full of food. She'd gotten soup on the tips of her hair. "Liar liar." 

"Hush, you." Folas demanded finally, scowling at his sister. "And for gods' sake, chew with your mouth closed. Nobody wants to see that shit."

"That's a bad word!" Marion cried. She looked inclined to stand on her chair, but Sabron quickly grabbed her and pulled her to his side. Marion kicked, but didn't scream, instead aiming her little five-year-old fists at his jaw. Sabron didn't even flinch.

Folas rolled his eyes with a sigh, letting his younger brother deal with his sister while he continued to try and woo my cousin. Gods, they were dumb. Could neither realize the other was interested in them? Sam hadn't touched any food on his plate, and a near predatory gaze filled his eyes.

Groaning, I shoved Sam back to the present, pulling him down to my level so I could whisper in his ear, "Let Lyr do what she wants. She's a grown female, for gods' sake, and you're her brother, not her keeper." Sam pouted, but said nothing. He picked up his fork and knife and ate his food slowly.

Marion, who'd had enough by now of her brother holding her down, squirmed out of his grip and dashed under the table. Before Sabron could duck down there to grab her, I felt her scramble against my legs and out the other side, where she proceeded to make a beeline for her father. Lord Lorcan Lochan picked up his daughter and set her on his lap with a kiss to her soup-stained hair. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. Marion had her father at her beck and call.

"And that's why I'm glad to be an only child." I muttered. Folas practically pricked his ears at my words, and abandoned his larger-than-life story to glare at me.

"You have a sister, Ashryver." 

"But I'm the youngest." I argued. "So if anyone in my family was like your sister, it was me. But I don't remember any of it. Maybe I was just an angel child."

"Doubt it." Folas snorted.

"Folas is right. I remember you as a baby, and you were a demon." Lyria chuckled.

"Now you're all ganging up on me!" I protested. "I feel hurt! Lyr, I trusted you!" I dramatically threw my head back and fake-wailed softly, which earned a few giggles from further down the table. Probably Evalin.

"Well anyway-" Folas attempted to start another story, no doubt to impress Lyria, but I quickly interrupted him.

"And you too Folas! I thought you were my friend! And now you're calling me as bad as your sister!"

As if on cue, every single Lochan boy snarled at the same time, and I grinned. One sure way to get a Lochan fired up was to insult their siblings. Especially Marion. The little girl could be a joy, but she was usually worse than her brothers, proven by the fact her plate looked like a war-zone and the small bruise welling on Sabron's jaw. She didn't mean to hurt him, I was sure, but she was incredibly used to getting her way.

"Don't talk about Marion like that." Folas growled. Lyria just raised her golden brows at me, as if saying I deserved the tongue-lashing that was sure to follow in moments. Sam flashed me a pitying look. 

"Our sister is not bad, Asceline." Amias glared at me as he spoke, venom spewing from his mouth. 

"Coulda fooled me." I purred, effectively signing my death warrant. I saw Lyria roll her eyes at me, and I flashed her a feral grin. I could stand to burn off some energy by throwing the Lochans on their asses. Granted, they'd hand me my own ass in a few moments if they worked together, but I had been itching for a fight all afternoon in the wagon. 

Before they could all lunge at me, my Aunt Aelin called from the head of the table, "Is everyone enjoying dinner? Emrys has been perfecting this meal for weeks!" 

All the dark haired boys sat down again, at least the ones who had stood. A chorus of "yes!" and "it's delicious!" followed my aunt's question. Aelin beamed from her seat, promising to tell her cook he did well. The meal was delicious, but after Marion I'd rather lost my appetite. At least for food.

The rest of the meal passed quietly, with me trying not to scoff to hard at Folas and Sam trying to reign in his murderous gaze. I was right, and he knew it. Territorial Fae bastard. When everyone was finished, Aunt Aelin and Uncle Rowan led the procession into the drawing room for socializing. Lyria all but perched on the arm of Folas's seat, but instead came to her senses slightly and sat on a chair next to him. Sam and I were on a couch across from them, Sabron and Amias in other chairs. Folas attempted to start another story, but his brothers must have gotten sick of his bullshit, because they roped us all into a conversation instead.

"How have you all been?" Amias asked casually. A good conversation starter, but one that Folas couldn't bring back to himself easily.

"I've been very well." Lyria said, smiling softly. Ever the princess. Sam echoed her, mentioning that his training was going well. I could have sworn Lyria grimaced at the words, but it was so quick I couldn't say for sure. 

"And how about you, Ashy?" Amias turned his attentions to me. 

I snorted, "Don't call me that."

"Yes, but if I gave you a nickname based off your real name I would end up just calling you Ass, which I don't think you'd appreciate." That was true. I blamed my parents for my very un-nicknamable name.

"If I gave you a nickname I would call you Amy, so how about that?" I shot back. "Just call me by my real name."

Before Amias, or Amy, as I would be calling him from now on, didn't have time to speak before someone sat down on the arm of the couch, right next to me. I looked up to see Rose, with Leo standing next to her. Rose gave her perfect little grin and brushed the hair out of her face. And I certainly didn't miss Leo dragging his own fingers through his dark hair. He and his sister looked nothing alike, which was baffling to me. With Lyria and Sam you could at least tell they were related, but with Leo and Rose you honestly couldn't. 

"What have you been up to, Asceline dear?" Rose practically purred. Her beauty could put the Fae to shame. And that was coming from someone who's cousin was one of the most gorgeous Fae I'd ever met. Though, to be fair, I hadn't met many Fae.

"Not much. Lady training, battle training, weapon training. Training in general." Rose nodded at my words, blue eyes sparkling. 

"Us too," She said simply, gesturing to her younger brother. Leo nodded, not meeting anyone's eyes. His gaze was on the picture hanging above the fireplace, the picture of the whole royal family, right after the twins were born. 

"Leooooo," Lyria trilled, "The real royals are right here." The Allsbrook boy snapped back to reality, turning to fully face us. 

"Yes, how have you all been?" He asked.

"I'm sick of that question. I've been fine, thank you, but ask me something different." Lyria's lips curved upwards in a smirk, and Leo just shook his head. Most people would be terrified of upsetting their princess, especially one who wielded fire and ice as easily as she could talk, but we'd all grown up together. Lyria was joking, and Leo knew it. 

"Fine. Ashy, how are your dogs?" Lyria opened her mouth, obviously going to protest no longer being the center of attention, but Sabron cut her off with a grin.

"She doesn't like to be called Ashy, you know." 

"I don't mind-"

"Not from him you don't." Sabron cackled, and I contemplated tackling him, but quickly decided I didn't need to be stuck in extra manners lessons as punishment. 

"Whatever. My dogs are fine, thanks for asking, Leo." I could hardly meet his eyes, but I did anyway, hoping it would put Sabron off from what he undoubtedly knew now and would use against me. My heart skipped a beat as I locked eyes with Leo Allsbrook. 

"Ashy's got a-" This time it was Lyria who shut up the Lochan. I turned, ready to kick Sabron in the balls, and found Lyria half-dragging him away to go get a drink. Leo looked midly startled, and I prayed he hadn't heard him. Rose gave me a knowing look before standing up from her perch and placing a perfect hand on her brother's arm, and then they were gone as quickly as they'd come, and I was sitting on the couch, still reeling from the beauty that was Leo Allsbrook.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if this is confusing or something, idk. The story is heating up slightly, (Ashy's got a cruuuush) and maybe it won't suck so badly soon. Anyway, love ya'll, make sure to leave comments and kudos! <3


	8. Winnie

"The meeting of the High Lords is in a week's time, you know." I turned my eyes from my cousins to my Uncle Rhysand, my High Lord, as he spoke. "And I know how you all feel about the meeting. I'm not asking any of you to go, if you don't want to."

From beside me, Cirrus opened his mouth, but was quickly cut off, "That does not include you. As the Heir, you are required to go." Cirrus jokingly stuck his tongue out at his father before turning back to me and Tess. 

Forks and knives began to clink as dinner resumed, as did the chatter. I could hear my siblings from all the way across the table. I lounged back in my seat as I chewed, stretching my wings casually behind me. But even the conversation my cousins were pulling me into couldn't drive the incessant chatter of shadows from the back of my mind. I'd discovered the power when I was about three, back when it was a good thing my father's shadows stuck to me as well. I suppose it wasn't bad now, per se, but fairly annoying. I most certainly did _not_ want to hear about the sexual innuendo Cirrus's parents just made to each other. No thanks.

"Winnie, are you going to the meeting?" Pulling me back to the present, Cirrus's blue-gray eyes bored into my own eyes of hazel. 

"Cool it with the eye contact, first of all." I snorted, "And yes, I'm going. Not excited about it, but I'm going." 

"Same here," Tess said. "I'm going, but I don't plan on enjoying it."

"Then why go at all?" Cirrus inquired. "If you won't enjoy it, which I already know you two don't, why are you going?"

Tess leaned back in her chair and put her hands behind her head. "Simple. Spite and also to not disappoint our parents."

"Spite?"

"Are you stupid?" Tess groaned. "What High Lord's son doesn't know what spite is?"

"I know what spite is-" Cirrus snapped, but I interrupted him before he and Tess could start a brawl. Tess was on edge tonight, I could tell. Why, I couldn't say. And as much as Cirrus, Tess, and I loved each other, you can only stick three adolescent Illyrians in a room together for so long before someone gets antsy and starts a fight. 

"As in, we're spiting the other High Lords. They insult us and tell us not to come back, so we go back just to prove them wrong. Were you asleep the whole last meeting?"

"No, I've just tried to block the whole experience from mind." Cirrus muttered. I supposed that was reasonable. Out of all three of us, Cirrus was picked on the most at the meetings. Usually by the same certain High Lords, who I didn't even dare to say aloud lest I summoned them. Utter bastards, they were.

"Well, we're all going." I said. "But when I say all, I mean not Arlen and Larall. Mother doesn't want either of them exposed to the nastiness of the other Courts." Cirrus nodded his agreement and took a sip from his drink.

"Cali's going, which is okay. She's just an even smaller Amren." I had to cover my mouth to stifle a giggle. That was absolutely true. If Caliphe cut her hair shorter and had grayer eyes, she'd look almost exactly like Amren. I hoped the little girl would make the stupid High Lords quake in their boots. It was the least they deserved, as I'd been informed burying them alive was rude.

"Enough about the damn High Lords." Tess groaned. "I'm starving, but you two are going to make me keep talking until I wither away from hunger." 

"That was the plan, cousin dear." I purred. Tess snorted and chugged her drink, which I was almost positive was just pure liquor. Tess could hold her alcohol better than any of us, which she claimed came from her father and _not_ a slight drinking problem. I was more into wine myself. 

We all started eating, but got distracted again. Cirrus jokingly asked if I could identify all the spices on the roasted lamb chops, and I was knee-deep in one of the strangest competitions ever when we got distracted by commotion further up the table. I glanced back to see Tess all but crawling under the table, wings tucked in close to her body. Another look as to what was going on explained my cousin's unusual actions. It was her mother, my Aunt Nesta, causing the drama.

"I don't want to drink tonight. I'm not in the mood." Nesta snapped at Aunt Mor. Mor narrowed her eyes, not letting go of the wine glass she held in Nesta's face. Nesta looked ready to shove the glass back at Mor, but my Uncle Cassian stepped in. 

"Mor, let it go. I'll drink the wine, it won't go to waste."

"Yes, but why don't you want any, you're usually fond of wine." Mor protested. Everyone around them looked like they wanted to be somewhere else. Tess had disappeared, likely winnowed away to spare herself the embarrassment. 

"I don't want any, and that's all. I just don't feel like it tonight." Nesta growled. She pushed the glass back to Mor with a glare. The golden-haired female rolled her eyes and downed the drink instead, shooting my Aunt Nesta a look the whole time. Nesta just ignored her and attempted to return to her conversation. With that problem over, I went back to my dinner, and I saw Cirrus doing the same out of the corner of my eye.

Wait. _Tess_. Where the hell had my cousin disappeared to? 

"Cirrus, where's Tess?" I hissed softly, making sure nobody else at the table could hear. We didn't want to cause more drama. Cirrus looked around, confused, like he hadn't realized the person closest in age to him had just disappeared. By the mother, males are stupid. 

"Not sure," He said at last. "She probably winnowed somewhere else."

"No shit, she winnowed." I snarled, trying not to shout. "Have you got any other incredible observations? Her name is Tess, she has black hair and wings-"

"I'm not stupid, Winnie." Those blue-gray eyes of his had a dangerous glaze on them, making me realize I was egging him on, which may have not been the best idea. 

"Could have fooled me." I said. Cirrus glared back at me with all the might of a High Lord's son. His wings were spreading behind him, as if he was subconsciously trying to threaten me by making himself look bigger. My own wings would have been doing the same, but I'd learned when I was younger how to keep them from appeasing my Illyrian instincts. Cirrus, it seemed, had not.

"Well what do you want me to do about it?" His voice was strained, the pointed tips of his ears red with anger and frustration. Oh, he was pissed. "I can't very well just stand up and announce that she's missing, can I? She left for a reason, Winnie, she'll be back."

"But what if someone notices before she's back?" I tried to make my voice calmer, tried to calm down my cousin a bit so he wouldn't accidentally demolish the House of Wind because of my words. I'd certainly made males break things before, but I didn't want to add my cousin to that list.

"So what?" He asked. "If they notice she's gone, we go on offence and tell them it was because they embarrassed her." It seemed like we'd had this conversation a million times. We'd been covering for each other since we could speak, and I felt like we covered for Tess the most. 

"I feel like we should bring her back, though," I argued. "So she's not alone out there with her emotions. Tess isn't good with emotions." If I was being honest, none of us were good with emotions, but whatever blood ran in Tess made her feel more strongly than either of us. I resisted the urge to turn to Aunt Nesta when I thought about Tess's emotional blood.

"Finish dinner. If she's not back, we go find her. There's only so many places she could be."

"Fine." I could live with that. I looked down at my plate, but squabbling with Cirrus about spices on the lamb didn't feel as fun as it had minutes prior. I resigned myself to simply eating, and Cirrus did the same.

The light slowly left the sky, and the true beauty of the Night Court was revealed. From so high up we could see the stars so clearly it felt as though I could touch them. Even after my whole life under those stars, it still awed me every time they came out at night. The little ones grew quiet, and I saw my little brother Larall asleep on my mother's lap, a thumb stuck in his mouth. Looking at my little brother I wished, just a bit, to be that small again. Life as the oldest child wasn't easy. 

To my side, I saw Cirrus looking with the same fondness at his own younger sister, who was dozing on her father's lap. I wondered if he ever wished like I did, to be little again. The look was gone again the next second, but I think that sometimes he did.

The arrival of the stars had me distracted, but I soon noticed the absence of my older cousin. Tess was still gone. After all her complaining about being starving, I would have expected her to be back to finish her dinner, but there was no sign of her. I looked to Cirrus, and he nodded. Time to go find Tess.

"Winnie and I are headed back to the house!" My cousin cheerfully called. Before anyone could protest, he grabbed my hand and winnowed us.

I hated winnowing. The feeling of weightlessness wasn't like flying, not at all. It felt like a free-fall in complete darkness, and all I wanted to do was flare my wings and fly back to the light. But the feeling was only for a few heartbeats, because as soon as the feeling was there, it was gone. We were on the roof of the Riverside House, where Cirrus and his family usually lived. 

I had expected Tess to be somewhere obscure, but I was wrong about her. I supposed that was the theme of tonight. My cousin was sitting on one of the iron chairs and looking over the Sidra, her wings flared casually behind her. Cirrus tucked his hands into his pockets and walked over to her. Cauldron, he looked so much like Uncle Rhys when he did that. Realizing I was being left behind, I quickly followed him over to our cousin.

Tess said nothing as we claimed the seats beside her. She just kept looking at the river. Her face was splotchy, her eyes were red and puffy. She'd been crying. Now I was confused. Tess hardly ever cried, and although she was embarrassed easily and hated her family making a scene, I'd never seen her cry over it. The argument had hardly lasted three minutes.

"Do you want to be alone or do you want us to stay?" Cirrus asked gently. Cirrus always had a gentler soul than me. I was inclined to start grilling my cousin, why was she crying, why did she leave, what was going on. But here Cirrus was, not getting worked up and offering our cousin space if she needed it. Cirrus was his father, through and through. 

"Please stay." Tess's voice was barely a whisper on the night-kissed wind, so soft that only Fae ears could hear. "I want you to stay."

Cirrus nodded and sat back, though he kept his eyes on her. It was so odd to see Tess like this, so openly upset. I'd seen her angry, I'd seen her screaming and slamming her fists, but I'd never, not in my whole life, seen her cry like this. She didn't hide the tears, no, she let them fall, and I watched as one wove a path down her face and dripped off the tip of her nose. When she swallowed, I heard it clearly, and could practically feel the lump in her throat myself. But she took a deep breath, and spoke.

"I'm going to need a drink for this." I cocked my head curiously, but said nothing. Tess shook her head with a chuckle, though I could tell it was forced. Another tear leaked out of her silver-lined eyes. 

Cirrus nodded, and snapped his fingers. I could have sworn it echoed over the river. A tall bottle of whiskey appeared on the small table that was next to the chairs. It was unopened, and a moment later three glasses appeared and the bottle popped open. 

"How do you do that?" I asked softly as Cirrus poured the drink. My dark-haired cousin shrugged.

"High Lord Heir powers, Winnie dear." I grinned as he handed me a glass. I sipped at it, and could hardly hold back the face I made. By the Mother, that was strong. Cirrus offered Tess a glass, but she ignored him and drank straight from the bottle. She didn't even cringe. Cirrus's eyes nearly bulged out of his head, and I practically had to pick up my jaw from the floor. Tess either pretended not to notice or simply couldn't bring herself to care anymore. When she set the bottle the whole table rattled. My older cousin stared off into space for a bit, long enough that I worried she'd forgotten what she was going to say. But then she took a deep breath.

"My mother is pregnant." 

I felt like the floor had dropped out from under me. The sentence Tess had just dropped on us like a sack of potatoes contained world-altering information, at least for me. Pregnancy and my Aunt Nesta were two things I never expected to hear together. It had happened before, _duh_ , but still... 

I could hardly believe it. But at the same time I could. All the pieces seemed to fit together right then. Up in the Illyrian camps, I practically lived with Tess. My own family was there, but it was nice to escape that chaos. Aunt Nesta had been ill lately, but I didn't bother to notice it. Or the fact she requested certain meals from Uncle Cassian when she was usually not a picky eater. And tonight, her refusal to drink alcohol. That should have set me off immediately; Aunt Nesta loved a good glass of wine.

But I suppose I was busy with my own things. Too busy to notice the signs that I would soon be having a new little cousin.

I realized I'd been staring. As had Cirrus. Tess's jaw was set, and she grabbed the bottle of whiskey again. The silence was deafening.

Cirrus spoke first, coming to his senses first, as always. "Congratulations. That's a good thing, right?"

"Yes, because I run away crying and drink straight from the bottle when it's a good thing!" Tess shrieked. "No, it's not a good thing, you dimwit!" Tears ran anew down her face and she looked to the sky.

"Why is that not good?" I ventured. Tess was silent. A nagging in the back of my head told the answers, and I fought the urge to yell at the damn shadows. Normally they were less bothersome, but they'd been hounding me more and more lately. 

"It's dumb, really." Tess muttered. "I should be happy, I know."

"You don't have to be happy about it." Cirrus murmured. "You have a right to feel whatever you want about it."

"You give me too much credit," Tess sighed. "Because the reason I'm unhappy is a stupid reason."

"Well we can't tell you if you're being dumb or not if you don't tell us." I reasoned. I leaned closer and took her hand. Tess's hazel eyes found my own and she cracked a tiny smile.

"I'm upset because I like being an only child. I've had twenty years being the center of attention, but I don't want to share it. And neither of you count because you don't really live with me." I nodded sagely. Understandable.

"When my mother told me I was getting a baby brother or sister, I threw a huge fit, I'll have you remember." I said. Tess sighed.

"But you were five, Winnie. That's an appropriate response for a five-year-old, not a female who's twenty years old and commands an entire flank of warriors," She shot back. 

"So what?" I said. "You're upset, and that's okay. We won't tell anyone, promise." From beside me, Cirrus nodded his agreement. 

"You guys are the closest I've always had to siblings." Tess admitted. "But seeing all of your siblings makes me not want any. It's not that I don't like kids and babies, because I do, but..."

"You don't have to say anything else. We understand." Cirrus grinned and grabbed her other hand. "It's not the end of the world, I promise."

"It feels like it, sure, but it's not the end." I pulled Tess into a hug. She must have been surprised, because she was stiff as a board, but she hugged me back a moment later. Cirrus wrapped his arms around us both, and his wings covered our heads. I laughed as I inhaled the scents of my cousins, Tess's whiskey-and-mist, Cirrus's jasmine-and-wind. These were some of my favorite people in the whole world, more favorite than even my own siblings and parents, dare I say. They made my heart swell until I had to pull away or I'd start crying myself.

This time Tess poured herself a glass and sipped it with us, leaving the bottle on the far side of the table. Her eyes were still silver-lined, and her face was still puffy, but she was smiling. That was all that mattered.

Tess held up her glass for a toast, and Cirrus and I raised ours as well.

"It's not the end." She said gently. We clinked, and drank.

"It's not the end." I repeated with a smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! This chapter is a tiny bit shorter but I hope you'll forgive me! I felt really inspired for whatever reason today and since it's summer and I don't have anything else to do, I decided to update. It was cool to be back in the Night Court. I was wondering if I did well showing distinction between the characters? I kinda feel like I've made them all too similar and we don't want that since most of these people have wildly differing personalities. Anyway, hope you all enjoyed, kudos and comments are always appreciated!! <3


	9. Rygan

I was not a violent person, that I freely admit. But after an untold amount of time traveling with my family, even I found myself wishing I could abandon them all to the wolves. 

We'd been making the trek north, from Rifthold to Orynth, four about two and a half weeks. Me, my sisters, and of course, my honorary sisters. The three Blackbeak Crochan-Havilliard girls, princesses of two mighty kingdoms. They squabbled so much I was sure I would be deaf by the time I made it back to Anielle. Of course, that wouldn't be too bad. If Amelie could do it, so could I.

I was sitting in a carriage, simply watching the sun make it's descent over the top of the Oakwald Forest. We'd been in the deep woods for so many days I'd lost track. The carriage bumped steadily along the thin path that wove through the trees, splattering mud behind us. Glancing to my right, my older sister Amelie was dozing. Across from me, Giselle was staring out the window as well. And to her own right side sat Aris, the Crown Princess of Adarlan. The dark-haired girl was reading a book, not paying us any attention at all, which I was grateful for. One could only spend so much time around any of Manon and Dorian's daughters before they snapped. And when it came to the witches, I was on my last nerve.

A thunderous boom sounded above us, and I flinched so hard I bumped Amelie, who only shifted slightly in her sleep. The source of the booming was one of the main reasons I was damn near going feral. Those wyverns. After I'd screamed like a newborn when Nysa's wyvern, Lynnith, had crept up on me, the sisters had been using the entire journey to torment me with their beasts. Aris had opted to ride in a carriage this morning instead of on her wyvern, leaving the thing to fly on it's own. Which was why, I supposed, it was so bad at disguising its wingbeats.

The wyvern-rider in question turned the page of her book with a small sigh, and reached up to adjust her glasses. Why she even bothered with the contraption was beyond me. When she could shift her eyes to be better, or simply let someone heal the damage of reading in dim lighting for years. But no, the princess was stubborn. 

I leaned back in my seat, trying to find a position that was more comfortable. At this rate, the little muscle mass I had built up over the years would start to atrophy from so little use. I knew I was being unrealistic, but it still felt like it. The journey was longer when we traveled to the Southern Continent. I was just bored out of my mind. I wondered if riding one of the wyverns would have been more interesting, but quickly decided I valued my life more. 

The horses continued to plod on, the sound of their hooves squelching into the mud reaching inside the carriage. I should have brought a book, like Aris did. For some reason it had escaped my mind, and now here I was, with nothing to do but watch the sun set. I rested my head on my hands, not looking forward to the night. We'd stayed at inns and the like along the way, but we'd been so deep in the woods that we hadn't passed a town for about four days. It was too dangerous to travel at night, so we camped. If I had to spend one more night on the cramped floor of a carriage or on the rain-soaked ground I would scream.

The wheels of the carriage rolled over some rocks, jostling everyone inside and sending me bumping into my sister again. More wingbeats sounded overhead. 

The sun had nearly gone down, and I wondered why we hadn't stopped yet. We wouldn't want to pitch a tent or start a fire in the dark, surely? Amelie was awake now, though she rested her head on my shoulder, her eyes still glazed with sleep. Aris was looking quite put out at the loss of light, and finally had to put her book away. With the darkness pressing in, the carriage began to feel smaller and tighter, and I couldn't help but start feeling slightly claustrophobic. 

"What are we going to eat?" Giselle grumbled, finally breaking the silence. 

"Maybe we're almost at an inn?" Aris suggested, though uncertainty flashed in her gold eyes. Maybe we'd run out of food. Maybe wherever we were was too dangerous to stop for even a minute-

The wet splashes of horse hooves suddenly turned into the clattering of cobblestones, the transition jostling me so suddenly I knocked against the side of the cart. I hissed and clutched my head, already feeling a small bump forming. Before I could even say a word Amelie grabbed my hands and pulled them away, before pressing her own hands against my head. The familiar warm tingle of healing magic soothed the small hurt, reducing the swelling without any drama. My sister pulled away and offered a close-lipped smile.

 _Thank you_ I signed quickly, hoping my sister could see the hand motions in the little light that was left. When Amelie and I were little we'd devised a secret language of hand motions to communicate, when I was too little to speak. When Giselle came along we'd taught her. Our parents still hadn't figured it out, which was now more of an inside joke, even if it was a bit of an inconvenience. 

Outside the horses clopped merrily along, perhaps happy to finally be out of the mud and dirt. The trees thinned slightly, and I could see the upcoming town a bit in the moonlight. We were still on the outskirts, but we were rapidly approaching some cottages. Giselle had her face pressed to the window, like a dog, and her eyes were wide as she took in the town like she'd never seen one before. 

We passed the small houses and crossed a bridge over a small creek. With the smoothness of the roads, the wheels clattered less, and bumped the carriage less as well. It was nice to not be thrown around like a ragdoll, after several weeks of doing just that.

This town was quite large, I noticed as we traversed its neatly paved streets. Most small towns had dirt roads lined with dusty cottages, everything surrounded by the forest. But wherever we were, it was nice. I was admiring the smooth roads and the nice houses when Giselle whooped happily and pointed excitedly out the window.

"We're here!" She cheered, practically jumping out of her seat. Sure enough, on the horizon stood the massive white palace of Orynth. The city was so large we hadn't seen it before now, and it was so dark I didn't recognize the landmarks. We had never made it to the city when it was dark outside before, which was fairly odd. But all those thoughts were swept under the rug of my mind as I watched the gleaming marble pillars and terraces grow closer with each passing step of the horses. 

Out of the corner of my eye I saw the wyverns flying high and blotting out the stars with their massive wings. There was no more tree cover for them to be inconspicuous, so they must have decided to flaunt it. The smallest wyvern with sparkling wings flew ahead, a loud cry echoing across the plains the city was sitting on. The horses spooked slightly outside and broke into a gallop, and Giselle cheered at the commotion. 

We raced across the cobblestone streets of Orynth, with my younger sister grinning like a madman, and Aris looking like she was trying very hard to not get sick. How she could fly a wyvern at lightning speeds but still got motion sickness was also beyond me. In fact, the Crown Princess of Adarlan was completely beyond me, and I never knew what to do with her. Amelie must have sensed her distress, because she took her friend's hand and let the glow of healing magic fill the carriage, soothing Aris's stomach and reducing the green on her face.

The castle was a beacon, shining so brightly in the light of the moon and stars it was a bit hard to look at. Maybe prolonged exposure to the castle at night would make one go blind, and then I'd be just like Aris. 

The horses finally slowed, after their dash through the city, and stopped right outside the palace gates. The booming of wings got louder as the wyverns landed next to the horses, which I thought was slightly cruel. After all, the scaly beasts _ate_ horses, and had just spurred them into racing across half the city. But then again, it was witches I was thinking about, and that's a witch thing to do if there ever was one.

The driver got out and opened the door with a small bow, more for the princess than for us. Aris stepped gracefully out of the carriage, light from the moon reflecting off the shining rims of her glasses. I let Amelie and Giselle out, and then hopped out myself. Gods, it felt good to be on the ground again, able to stretch my legs. The driver pulled out all the luggage and deposited it with the guards. Then the man nodded, spurred the horses, and disappeared into the night. 

A few servants arrived to take in luggage, along with the arrival of my parents' carriage, and that from Briarcliff. Off to the side, the wyvern-riders were dismounting. My mother came to my side and smiled, radiant as always. Tegan, the Crown Princess of Briarcliff, made her way over to the group with her nearly identical looking mother. 

"Welcome to Orynth, Your Majesties." A small woman with brown hair greeted us, and led everyone inside. 

Even though I was in Terrasen fairly often, I had only been to Orynth a few times. Terrasen trips were usually for the purposes of healing and helping those who needed it, alongside my mother and sister. But Orynth... I had only ever been to the capital city for the Peace Ball. 

"Right this way, I'll show you all to your rooms." The woman purred. "You can bathe and change, and then join everyone in the drawing room if you wish. Dinner was only just finished, they'll likely be there socializing for an hour or two yet."

As excited as I was to be in Orynth, in the palace, there were certain parts I could do without. I wasn't sure if I had the energy to talk for hours, but I supposed it would be rude to not show up. When the young woman showed me my room, I headed straight for the bath. I decided to have it cold, for if it was warm I would either fall asleep or stay until I was so shriveled I would float out the window at the slightest breeze. I was half-tempted to do just that, if only to avoid others until I could stand people again.

I scrubbed quickly, days worth of grime coming off like a second skin. When I stepped out the bath water was noticeably darker than when I'd gotten in. As gross as it was, there was something satisfying to see that much dirt come off. I dried my hair as fast as I could, though with its wavy texture it tended to hold water in like a sponge. By the time I was dry, the case I'd brought with me had been placed neatly at the foot of my bed. 

Even though I knew I was expected downstairs, I couldn't help but take time to admire my suite. Every time I came the rooms seemed grander. Plush cream carpet covered the floor of the bedroom, soft enough that my bare feet sunk into it. The bed was finely made, the Stag of Terrasen carved into the headboard. The duvet cover was obviously filled with down, and was, of course, Terrasen green. The sheets were the same cream as the carpet and made of silk. There was a chest of drawers made from the same wood as the bed, and a green plush chair was in the corner. Sheer white curtains trimmed with gold covered the windows, though still let in some moonlight. There was a small desk and another chair, and a soft rope hung next to it, connected to the bell that rang for room service. All in all, the room was gorgeous. 

I wondered if I would be scolded by my parents if I took dinner in my room. No, they wouldn't scold me; Giselle would. I decided not to risk the wrath of a young lady who could chop you to pieces with a sword and heal you, only to chop you up again. I finished dressing and made my way to the drawing room.

I got lost rather fast, and I would have been embarrassed if I hadn't reminded myself that the palace was nearly three times the size of the Anielle Keep, and the royal children probably got lost in it as well. I found the room eventually, and cracked the door open slightly to survey the people for just a moment.

All the Lords and Ladies of Terrasen were there. Queen Aelin sat in a plush armchair with her husband, the King, perched on the arm. I spotted Lyria quickly as well, chattering animatedly with one of the Lochan boys. Even after years and years, I could still hardly tell one from the other. Aspen was talking politely with some Lord or other, and Evalin sat with her hands in her lap and her knees crossed as she spoke. The twins, Aerith and Thallan, appeared to be busy antagonizing Marion, the only Lochan child I could successfully recognize. The little girl was having none of it, though, and I hoped the twins knew what they'd gotten themselves into. Marion was well known, even in Anielle.

I relaxed a tiny bit when I spotted my parents, and Uncle Dorian and Aunt Manon, talking with Aelin. Kerrigan was sitting by her mother, Manon, and looking bored. I opened the door a bit more and slipped in quietly. My mother caught my eye and smiled, but said nothing to me and continued her own conversation. She knew when I needed support and when I needed to be left to my own devices, and in this instance I needed both.

I wanted to hide in the shadows already, and nobody had even spoken to me yet. The long weeks of travelling had frazzled me a bit, and I was worn out. I wished we'd gotten there later, so everyone would be in bed and I wouldn't have to talk until the morning. Against all these powerful people I felt out of place, with my suit jacket a bit loose in the shoulders and my hair wild and frizzy. We hadn't had time to let in the seams before the trip, and I blamed the humidity for my hair. But even so, I felt like I didn't belong.

I was content to stand in the corner all night, it didn't bother me, truly. But very few things ever went my way. After being undisturbed for about fifteen minutes, Nysa had breezed through the drawing room doors in a teal gown the color of the ocean, her white hair in an intricate updo that made me pity her maid. The witch made heads turn and nostrils flare, and she delighted in it. Nysa did love attention.

However, her own attention was fixed on someone else. Nysa Blackbeak Crochan-Havilliard, Crown Princess of the Witch Kingdom, made her way over to a dark haired boy about her age, and kissed him soundly.

The tension in the room spiked for a moment before suddenly relaxing, and Nysa pulled away from Caeda Lochan. Last year, when the Peace Ball was held in the Wastes, something had sparked between the two, and now they subjected everyone to their public displays of affection. Honestly, Caeda was over there more than I was, and he lived about twice the distance. 

"I didn't think you'd be here today." Caeda said, happy surprise written all over his face. "I was expecting tomorrow at the earliest."

"I do enjoy keeping you on your toes." Nysa purred. Around everyone else Nysa was a cold-hearted beast, but with Caeda she may as well have been a puppy. I doubted that anyone had missed the hands they kept clasped together, like they were afraid someone would separate them again after being apart for so long. 

The two lovebirds soon disappeared, and I decided I did _not_ need to know where to. It was bad enough seeing them near making out in the drawing room, and I really didn't need to see anything more tonight. I was tired. I wanted to sleep. My own sisters arrived, along with Aris and all the Briarcliff royals who soon made themselves at home, but even they couldn't keep me engaged for long. I was so tired.

"You look a little lonely. Mind if I join you?" The voice that sounded to my left was fairly deep, enough so that I assumed it was some old Lord. But when I looked up-

"Sam?" I asked incredulously. I hadn't seen the prince since last year, when he was still a gangly eighteen year old boy. In the year since I'd seen him, he'd grown into himself so much more, with broad shoulders and a face that had finally lost all it's baby roundness. His silver hair was combed neatly back, and his Ashryver eyes sparkled in the light of the chandeliers. He'd gotten taller, if that was possible. 

"That's me," He said, a small chuckle lacing his voice. When had it gotten so deep? Standing before me was not the boy I'd grown up with, the one who snuck with me and Sabron into my mother's work space in the Northern Torre just to watch her make tonics and write notes on patients. Instead, standing before me was a warrior, worthy of the legends he was descended from. I realized I was standing next to a male, not a boy, not anymore. 

My stomach felt all twisted up in knots the longer I looked. Sam had grown up since I'd seen him, and I had done no such thing. It was honestly embarrassing, and made me feel more out of place than before.

But then he cracked that small grin of his, the one I'd come to call 'The Sam Smile' over the years, and suddenly all my worries melted away. Sam hadn't changed, I could tell. Even with a stronger body and a deeper voice, he was still Sam.

"How are you? How are things down in Anielle?" Sam asked with genuine sincerity, not like the small talk most people were being subjected to. Sam always was genuine and sincere.

"I've been well," I said, a small grin bubbling up from my exhaustion. "And so has Anielle. The Torre is expanding, and we've been training more healers and physicians."

"That's wonderful." Sam said. I decided I liked his new voice, with the deep tone running through it. "Are you training any of these new healers?"

"No, I'm only training physicians. No magic, you know?" I shrugged. I'd given up on being jealous of my sisters' healing powers years ago. Sometimes it made me glad to have no magic, to know I'd become one of the best physicians at the Northern Torre through hard work, with no extra boost from magical powers. But when it came up in conversations like this, sometimes an inkling of that jealousy returned. 

"Magic isn't everything, I'll have you know. Good hard work can beat magic any day." His blue eyes were encouraging, and almost daring me to prove him wrong. Looking at those eyes, a tiny thrill ran through my blood. 

"Says the magic wielder." I shot back jokingly. Sam grinned and laughed softly. Even his laugh sounded different now, though it wasn't really a complaint. I noticed I was warming to this newer Sam more and more with each passing word.

"Yes, but I have less magic than my sister Lyria, you know."

"Can you beat her in a fight?" At the question, Sam's face flushed slightly, and I laughed, a good, hard laugh.

"No, but we're talking about healing, not fighting." His flustered face I committed to memory, with his cheeks red and his eyes nervous. 

"Whatever. Thanks for the support. That was what that was supposed to be, right?" His face flushed again, and I grinned. 

"Yes, that was support. But I think you've got enough of that, with your sisters and parents. So I'll say goodnight, since you look like you're going to pass out at any moment. It's good to see you again, Rygan. And... we can talk more in the morning if you want." Before I could say anything more, he slipped into the crowds of rich folk and their brethren, leaving me staring after him.

A nudge snapped me out of my stupor, and I glanced over to see Amelie, a huge smirk on her face. _Someone has starry eyes for the prince, it seems._ She signed. I blinked for a moment, trying to process the hand motions, but when I did, I gasped.

 _No I don't!_ I gestured. My sister's grin grew wider and more mischievous.

_I didn't say it was you, but if that's how you feel-_

_I'm going to bed! Goodnight, you trickster witch._ True to my word, I said my farewells to my parents and copious amounts of aunts and uncles, and made my way upstairs to my room. 

Hours later, I tossed and turned on my bed, kicking the silken sheets around and shoving the pillows. I was exhausted, I felt it in my bones and in my head. But I couldn't sleep. Amelie's words, or signs, I supposed, floated 'round and 'round in my head. I wasn't starry-eyed for Sam, was I? I traced through the conversation again. He looked different, that was for sure, but was I mooning over his appearance? 

I groaned into my pillow, begging the gods for even a wink of sleep. I could think on this in the morning-

The morning. Sam said we could talk in the morning, if I wanted. I didn't miss the flutter in my chest at the thought of the words. 

Oh no.

How does one tell a prince you think you might be a little in love with him?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have no excuse, lmao. I'm so sorry this didn't get posted sooner. Idk why I waited so long and procrastinated so much, this chapter was not hard to write at all. Idk, sorry I kept y'all waiting. But it's here now, please appreciate my bean child Rygan and his crush on Sammy boi. Kudos and comments are always appreciated!


	10. Tess

"Why are you pouring liquor into your coffee?" From across the table, Winnie narrowed her glazed eyes at me. My cousin's hair was a mess, and her wings were drooping slightly behind her. 

"Why aren't you pouring liquor into your coffee?" I shot back. The last drops of alcohol dripped from the mouth of the flask, and I closed it before sliding it across the kitchen table. It was meant to stop at the end, but I'd pushed it to hard and it fell off. Nobody batted an eye as the metal clattered to the ground. Winnie was staring off into space again, and Cirrus still had his head in his arms. I shrugged and stirred my coffee.

Normally my cousins were more coherent in the morning, but after all the whiskey last night, they were both battling massive hangovers. My own head was pounding, but I pushed it aside and chugged my coffee, hoping the caffeine and alcohol would act as a pick-me-up. Cirrus started to snore from his end of the table.

Last night, after talking for hours and finishing the whole bottle of whiskey, we'd all stumbled inside, nearly drunk out of our minds. Cirrus hadn't even bothered to go up to his room and passed out on the couch. I'd made it to a guest bed before losing consciousness, and I'd woken up with Winnie beside me. The sun was high in the sky and the house was deserted. Where the rest of my family went, I didn't particularly care. At least I didn't have to deal with Cali, Arlen, and Larall screaming at each other. 

Screaming kids. What I'd soon be subjected to. My thoughts found their way back to my mother and father, and the baby that would be joining us sooner rather than later. I wished I had more alcohol.

I put my empty mug in the sink, and even picked the flask up off the floor. Even though bending down made my head throb painfully. Passing my cousins, I gave them both a hard shove to wake them up and convince them to get going. 

"I don't know about you two, but I need a bath. And new clothes. Winnie, mind if I borrow some of yours?" Winnie nodded absently, and I bounced off to the guest bathroom.

I locked the door behind me and started drawing a bath. While water poured from the faucet, I leaned against the bathroom counter and clutched my head in my hands. The pounding in my head was growing worse by the minute, and I could no longer look directly into lights without a throb of pain from my head.

I yanked off my clothes from yesterday and sank into the bath, despite it still being ice cold. The cold took my breath away, but soon it was a soothing cool against my hot and sticky skin. The bath tub was large, large enough to comfortably fit wings. I stretched my own wings in the water, letting the refreshing cool water reach them as well. With a sigh I leaned back and closed my eyes, sinking further into the icy water.

I fell in and out of consciousness for a bit, sleeping for a few minutes and then waking up. The cold seemed to be helping my headache, which was a blessing. I looked along the wall to all the soaps and other various bits and bobs that were kept for guests. I normally bathed with soaps that had more masculine scents, like pine or iron. These shelves, unfortunately, only seemed to have pastel colored bottles containing a myriad of flowery scents. I wondered if Aunt Elain had picked out the supplies for the guest bathroom.

I finally, after several minutes, found a soap that wouldn't make me smell like a flower garden. I lathered it up in my hands and scrubbed my dark hair until it was white with bubbles. After dunking my head under to rinse the soap off and receiving what felt like a brain freeze on the outside of my head, I decided to keep my face above water. I finished my washing and then laid against the side of the tub to rest. 

I must have dozed off again for a few minutes, because I was startled awake by a pounding on the bathroom door. Even with the pungent odors of soaps in the room, I could still smell Winnie on the other side of the door. 

"Tess, get out, I want to bathe before my parents get home. You've been in there forever!" Winnie shouted. I groaned in annoyance, but I rolled out of the bath anyway. It was high time I got out anyway, I decided; my fingers were all pruny from the water.

I toweled off my hair and then dried my body, and I held the towel tight around me as I exited, giving Winnie the finger as I left for good measure. My cousin just snorted and shut the bathroom door in my face. 

When we'd passed out on the guest bed last night, neither Winnie nor I noticed the travelling case in the corner. This morning, however, it had come to our attention; as much attention as we could give it, being terribly hungover. It was Winnie's travelling case, and full of her clothes for whenever we went off to the High Lords meeting. My own case, I realized soon after, was still at the House of Wind. And I was in no state to fly over there and retrieve it. 

Winnie's mother had likely put it there last night when she came over. As I dug through my cousin's clothes I felt a pang of jealousy for that. For the relationship she had with her mother. Any chance of my own mother and I having a normal relationship had shattered weeks ago when my mother found out she was expecting.

Part of that reason was my fault, that I knew. But just because I knew it didn't mean I wanted to admit it. I finally found some damn pants in Winnie's case, and paired it with a pale green blouse. I let the towel fall to the floor and put the clothes on instead. They were a little bit loose in a few areas. Winnie, after all, is curvier than me. But I preferred slightly loose clothes to no clothes at all, so I didn't particularly care.

I wrapped my discarded towel around my head to keep my soaking wet hair from dripping everywhere, and made my way back to the kitchen. Cirrus was there, though looking perkier than before. His own dark hair was shiny and smooth, and he had on fresh clothes. He was sipping some more coffee. 

"Good morning." Cirrus said. He glanced at the clock above the stove. "Or good afternoon, I suppose." 

"Do you have any idea where the rest of the family went?" I questioned. I didn't really care too much, but knowing the whereabouts of my friends and family always made me feel safer. Even if they were on the other side of Prythian, I liked knowing where they were.

"No clue. Not a note. But they should be back soon; Cali and Cam have tutoring today in about an hour."

"Wait, your sisters are tutored?" I asked. I had thought Cirrus and his sisters were home schooled, like Winnie and I had been. 

"My sisters are, I was home schooled." Cirrus said, answering the question I hadn't even asked. Aunt Elain had home schooled both me and Winnie, as my own mother didn't really care to, and my father was busy with his duties as General. 

"Mom and Dad have a lot going on, so it's just easier." He continued with a shrug. 

"Whatever, I just didn't know." I poured myself another mug of coffee, though I had no intention of drinking it. I just wanted to switch the topic of conversation so I didn't look like more of a fool. Imagine not even knowing your own little cousins are being tutored instead of home schooled. It didn't even matter at all, I wasn't sure why I was so bothered.

I saw Winnie making her way to the bedroom, a towel tightly wrapped around her. I heard her rustle around for a moment, then she came out in a soft blue dress with a glare on her face. She made her way over to me and turned her glare on me. 

"What?" I snapped. "I'm not in the mood for attitude."

"I said you could borrow my clothes, not throw them all over the room." She growled. 

"Why put them up if you're just going to be making a mess when you go through them?" I shot back. Winnie rolled her eyes and snarled in exasperation. 

"Just because you're upset doesn't give you the right to do as you please."

"It's just some clothes!" I shouted. "It doesn't matter."

"Not the point."

Cirrus hadn't said a word during the whole argument so far, instead opting out and just sipping his coffee and looking mildly interesting. It was infuriating. 

"What do you want me to do?" I asked Winnie with a growl. She growled right back, hazel eyes flashing. Even though Winnie was a year younger than me, she was nearly my equal in battle. The only reason she didn't have her own flank of warriors to command was because she wasn't twenty yet, and her mother really didn't want to put her in danger. Not to mention, Winnie was a shadowsinger, and I was reminded by the pulsating shadows that writhed around her hands and wove through her hair.

"I want you to clean up your mess, and apologize." She hissed. Her glare didn't let up, and she even leaned forward more, getting in my personal space.

"Leave me alone. Its your clothes anyway-" I was cut off when she smacked me. The slap didn't hurt, it was more just the element of surprise. Winnie and I threw hands often, in fact the last time we'd fought was still fresh in my mind. But she didn't normally get so worked up over little things like clothes. 

I was seconds away from smacking her right back and starting a brawl in my Aunt's kitchen, but Cirrus finally decided to step in. He put down his coffee and forced his way between us with a growl of his own.

"No fighting, not in my house. If you want to brawl then do it back in the mountains." Winnie and I both growled, and our cousin had the good sense to look slightly alarmed, but he didn't step back.

I caved first, rolling my eyes and stepping back. "Whatever. If your stupid clothes mean that much to you, I'll go clean them up."

"It's my stupid clothes that you're wearing," Winnie snapped back. "If it weren't for me and my stupid clothes you'd be walking around naked." 

Cirrus flashed me a warning in his gaze, and I growled, but didn't step forward again. Before either could say anything, I whirled around and stalked into the bedroom. I hadn't even made that much of a mess, but whatever. I didn't feel like starting a feud with my cousins when we'd be stuck with each other for the next few weeks. 

I cleaned up the few dresses and shirts I'd thrown while looking for some pants, and closed the travelling case neatly. I would have been stewing about the argument, but I just couldn't bring up enough energy to be mad anymore. Ever since my parents' announcement, weeks ago, my emotions had gone all over the place. I felt like I was a teenager again, with my moods drastically changing every few minutes.

I went back out and collapsed on the couch. I even groaned out an 'I'm sorry for being a bitch' before rolling over and falling asleep again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey hey, sorry this is fairly late, I've had family in town. Hopefully I'll get a few updates out this week and next, because I'm not gonna have much time to write soon. Sorry this is so short, I'm trying to drag out the ACOTAR chapters a bit for reasons you'll understand later. But anyway, hope this didn't suck, all kudos and comments are appreciated!


	11. Nysa

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is kinda late, so sorry. For whatever reason, when I was on vacation, my computer would NOT connect to AO3, despite connecting fine to everything else. I had planned to update both this and another work, but I couldn't, so it's here now.

The sunlight filtering in through the sheer curtains of my suite was what woke me. For a moment I just laid there, under the crisp sheets with sun in my eyes, trying to remember what exactly was going on. This was not my bed, that much was obvious. My bed didn't have an obnoxiously green duvet or more down-filled pillows than one knew what to do with. This bed, it smelled not of the Wastes, but-

Ah. _That_ was what was different. In my own bed, in my own home, I did not wake up with the scent of Caeda lingering in my nostrils. I shifted slightly, and sure enough, my skin brushed against his beneath the silk sheets. His warmth had me gravitating towards him, and I curled against him with my head on his chest. The movement must have awoken him, as he shifted beneath my hands with a sharp breath.

I listened to his heart beat as he stretched next to me, letting the rhythm of it lull me into a little doze. It only lasted for a moment, because I felt warm hands on my back and my eyes fluttered open again. 

"Morning." Caeda's rough voice had me burying my face in his chest to hide my grin. I never understood what it was about his voice in the morning that had me grinning like a little girl, but it was embarrassing enough to have me hiding my face. 

I glanced up, into his dark eyes that still looked a little bleary. "Morning." I chirped back.

Instead of speaking he just threaded his fingers through my hair, gently, almost reverently. I let him stroke my head as I listened to his soft breaths, his heart thumping in his chest. I could have laid there forever, and I would have. However, Caeda slowly sat up against the plush pillows and glanced down at me.

"What time is it?" I asked, not wanting to look away from his face to see the clock against the wall. It was almost as if he could sense what I was thinking, and a smirk appeared on his face. I wish I could say it marred his handsome features, but it only served to make him look better. It was like he could sense that thought, too. 

"You'd think with it only being springtime the sun would be out later," Caeda mused. "But it's just barely seven o' clock and it looks like it's nearly noon out there."

"Waking up early is good for you." I snorted, finally sitting myself up. I didn't bother pulling the blankets over my naked body, and it was my turn to smirk as a flash of ravenous hunger danced across his normally placid features. 

"And," I breathed, crawling over a few inches to rest my hands on his knees, "If it's so early there may be some time for... other activities." 

Caeda took my hand and kissed it, pupils dilating as he took in the sight before him. If my head had still been against his chest I knew I would hear his heart thumping erratically and his breath rattling his lungs. It was a thought that had me crawling closer, so my hands were resting by his hips and his chin was at my head. I was close enough to scent myself on him, from the night before. 

"You make a compelling argument, don't you." He chuckled. I titled my head, suddenly very aware of my own heart beating frantically inside my chest. 

"It's because I'm right." I breathed. Caeda chuckled, the sound reverberating in my bones. He tugged me the rest of the way forward, my knees coming to sit outside his hips and my hands finding purchase on his shoulders. I was hovering above his lap, and it would be so easy to just drop down and-

Before I could act he moved forward, pinning me gently to the bed with a smirk all over his face. I didn't even have time to make a snide remark before he captured me in a kiss and what I was going to say flew completely from my mind.

~~~~

A good morning tumble in the sheets was the best way to wake up, I concluded about an hour later. I was laying atop the sheets, most of which had been nearly ripped off the bed. Caeda was beside me, trailing lazy fingers through my hair again. I absolutely could have fallen asleep again, had the clock on the wall not chimed eight. Had I been in the Wastes I would have already been up for hours, but I couldn't help but wish for more time to just... lay there. 

With a sigh, I pulled myself upright and crawled off the bed, not bothering to even stand up straight as I trudged to the bathing room. While the water ran in the bathtub I fished around in one of my suitcases, looking for something suitable to wear. And I sensed, rather than saw or heard, Caeda getting off the bed himself and coming to peer over my shoulder at all my various clothes.

"You should get yourself ready." I said, still looking through my belongings. "When I get out of the bath you should be dressed."

"You're not my mother." Caeda protested. He'd do it, though. Out of all his siblings, he was the most responsible. And of course, he just so happened to do most everything I asked him to, despite his objections. 

I hummed in response, not deigning to answer. I selected a comfortable tunic and leggings, deciding to save the nicer clothes for the evening. I laid the garments out on the bed and made to walk back into the bathroom. But, before I did, I pulled Caeda in for one last, lingering kiss. When I pulled away he was grinning without abandon, his pointed canines near gleaming in the morning light. His smile was like a physical blow to my chest, but in a good way, making me not bother to hide my own returning grin.

"Go get dressed." I murmured, before his tender kiss had me pulling him back under the sheets for the second time this morning. Seeming to sense that, he just smirked at me and went to fetch his clothes. I turned away and hurried into the bathing room.

I laid in the tub for a while, just relaxing in the warm water and scrubbing my hair until it was shining like the moon. I pulled myself out when I saw my fingers getting wrinkled, and combed out my hair while it continued to drip-drip-drip onto the tile floor. I toweled the rest of the way off and went back to the bedroom. Sure enough, Caeda was gone, the only proof he'd been there his lingering scent. I got dressed and decided to spare whatever poor maid had to clean up the mess Caeda and I'd made by stripping the bedsheets then and there. 

My stomach was starting to growl, but I finished my task and even tidied up some more before I finally gave in and walked out of my suite in search of breakfast. The palace of Orynth was mighty during the night, but in the daytime it was downright glorious. The entire place gleamed, unlike the usual stone castles I was used to. The shimmering made me wonder what the Rifthold palace would have been like if it still had a glass castle atop it. 

The problem of this palace, though: It was so massive I had absolutely no clue how to navigate it. All the rooms beside mine seemed to have nobody in them, so there was no one to ask for directions. I didn't know where Caeda's room was because we'd gone directly back to mine from the drawing room. The events from last night were hazy at best, and I couldn't remember exactly where I'd gone. This had me wandering around aimlessly for a good amount of time, trying to find any kind of mark that I recalled from the night before.

I thanked all the gods that I finally stumbled upon a maid, a little slip of a woman with blazing red hair tied in a knot above her head. The poor girl looked terrified to be approached by a witch, though I couldn't blame her. I was pretty scary, even in simple clothes with my hair still wet from my bath. She gave me the directions I needed to the dining hall, where she said breakfast was kept hot until ten o' clock.

With her instructions I felt a little less lost, and even found the dining room with minimal cursing over dead-end passages. Strangely enough, the hall was abandoned save for the platters of food waiting on a side table. Perhaps everyone was still asleep. Or maybe everyone was already up. Whatever the case, I was alone with my breakfast as I sat down with a plate filled high with a sample of nearly everything. In the Witch Kingdom, most meals were usually some sort of cooked game. In Terrasen, it seemed breakfast was made up of all foods from the grains category. There were about five different types of toasted bread available.

I found myself enjoying the silence as I ate, so at odds with what I was used to back home. In fact, nearly everything in Orynth was at odds with what I was used to. It was strange, yet nice, in a way. I contemplated this as I popped various berries in my mouth.

The door creaked open, catching me unaware with a whole sausage link stuffed in my mouth. I looked up, praying it wasn't somebody I would feel the need to fight. As it happens, it was someone I often felt the need to fight: My older sister.

Aris padded into the dining room quietly, her dark hair dry and luscious and plaited back expertly. Her thick-rimmed glasses were resting at the end of her nose, looking as if they'd fall off when she next moved her head. And as usual, she was completely and utterly engrossed in a book.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy reading. But sometimes I wondered if it was an addiction my sister was suffering from. Because no one in their right mind would read enough to ruin their eyesight, and then deny healing so they could wear glasses. Sometimes I wondered if my sister was insane.

She didn't bother with talking to me, not that I was bothered by it. It was honestly in our best interests to avoid conversation as much as possible, especially after spending way too much time in close quarters with each other. She put her book down (a miracle) and served herself some tea and biscuits before sitting down herself. And then she started reading again.

I focused on finishing my food quickly, so I wouldn't end up saying something I would regret. Already I was biting my tongue to not comment on her not being able to even put her book down to eat breakfast. I polished off my eggs and the other sausage I'd taken, (much more lady-like, might I add) and was draining the last of my tea when the door opened again. I didn't even have to look up to see who it was, because their scent gave it away almost instantly- Princess Lyria.

Lyria looked like a living flame as she flounced inside the room, her golden hair as glittering as the palace she lived in. She wove around the table laden with food, plucking bits up here and there and depositing them on her plate. And with a final dramatic twirl she plopped her plate down right next to mine and sank into the plush chair with a girly sigh.

"Are you always this perky in the mornings?" I asked dryly. Even after my morning pick-me-up in bed with Caeda, I was still slightly drowsy, and I knew I would be for likely the rest of the morning. But the Crown Princess of Terrasen seemed as though she'd been awake for hours, being productive or something.

"I am a delight in the mornings." Lyria declared, tossing a strawberry in the air and catching it in her mouth just for emphasis. Her pointed canines cut the berry completely in half, and I couldn't help but grin with wicked amusement. 

"Watch this." I demanded, snapping my iron teeth down with a crook of my jaw. Now it was Lyria's turn to grin. I grabbed a handful of blueberries off her plate and threw them at the ceiling, then letting them all fall perfectly at my open mouth before slicing them all perfectly with my new additions. Five blueberries found a new home in my gut. Lyria gave a small applaud to my show.

Before I knew it, we were tossing berries and other pieces of food into each other's mouths just for the fun of it, seeing who could make it further. I couldn't keep the smile off my face; I hadn't had this much fun at breakfast in years. 

But of course, Aris had to ruin the fun.

"Could you two stop?" She snapped after removing a bit of eggs from the tablecloth in front of her. "Aren't you supposed to be, like, princesses or something?"

"Who said princesses couldn't have some fun with each other?" Lyria joked. Aris shot her a glare, and Lyria shrugged it off. I sighed dramatically before draping myself over Aris's chair with a pout on my face. 

"Why don't you ever have fun, sister dear. Why do you just sit around and be boring all day?" 

Aris snarled, glowering at me over the rims of her glasses. Before she could raise a hand to smack me, or send some random object to hit me across the face, I danced out of the way with a flourish, which only served to make her more angry. 

She snapped her book shut, something she hardly ever did. And she stood up. I cheered and clapped at her, egging her on. I didn't really understand what made pissing Aris off so fun, but I wasn't about to question it. I caught Lyria leaning against another chair out of the corner of my eye, ready to watch the show unfold. 

I flashed my iron teeth at my older sister, who just snapped hers down in return. I circled her slightly, curling and uncurling my fists as I imagined smashing her stupid glasses into her face. 

But, our blood-spilling was interrupted by the door opening again. Rygan stood in the entrance of the dining room, looking mildly concerned with the state he saw everyone in. His wavy hair was frizzy and he had dark circles under his eyes, like he had hardly slept. Aris relaxed when she saw him, going as far as to retract her iron teeth back into the slits in her gums. After a few moments, I begrudgingly did the same. 

"That's right, it would be rude to spill blood in a dining room that isn't your own." Rygan snorted. He made his way over to the food, diffusing the tension in the room with every step he took. I knew Rygan didn't often think very highly of himself, especially when it came to healing and all the like, but he was one of the best peace-makers I knew. Because not even Amelie, Aris's best friend, could calm her down when she wanted a go at me, but Rygan always could. It was like his own special magic that wasn't truly magic but just as powerful. Powerful enough that Aris and I sat down.

Rygan made his way to an empty seat, and Lyria sat across from him. I watched as Aris opened her book back up.

"Ry, do you know if Sam's up yet?" Lyria asked. At the question, Rygan's head snapped up from looking at his plate, and though it was hard to tell with his darker skin, I almost could have sworn I saw a blush.

"Why would I know?" He yelped. 

"Uh, because you're his friend and you probably passed his room on the way here. What did you think I meant?" Lyria snorted. 

"Oh, yeah, uh-"

"Take your time." I drawled.

"He's not up. I don't think. No. Not sure." He finally spat out. Lyria rolled her eyes at his strange display, but didn't say anything else. The princess instead stretched her arms above her head and popped some of her joints. 

"Well, that was a good breakfast, Aris you should learn to lighten up a bit, and I'm off to train. Do you want to come, Nysa?"

"I cannot deny someone who sees my sister as I do. Of course I'm going to train with you." If Aris heard our comments she pretended she didn't; or perhaps she was too engrossed in her book to even hear. Either way, she didn't react, not even when I stuck my tongue out at her on my way out of the dining room.

Lyria strode quickly through the castle, with the confidence of someone who has had years to master the confusing twists and turns of Orynth Palace. I stopped trying to remember which passages she took after about five minutes and instead just followed her out to one of the courtyards. 

The yard was surrounded by trees and stone walls, and I couldn't help but notice the amount of singed grass and burn marks across the trees. Against one of the less-burned trees was a weapons rack, mostly filled with swords and the occasional spear or knife. Lyria made her way over to the weapons and selected a sword of simple make, the iron gleaming slightly when she angled it at the sun. 

"Take what you want." She said. "I've never sparred with a witch before, you know. Or a raw-magic wielder."

"Well, if you've never battled a witch, that explains why you didn't know: I don't need a weapon. My own body is weapon enough."

"We'll see." Lyria purred, shifting into a fighting stance. I grinned and positioned myself as well. 

I had only just gotten my feet underneath me when the princess charged, Fae speed sending her hurtling towards me. I deftly leaped out of the way, but Lyria only pivoted and came at me again. I dodged, snapping out my teeth and flicking out my nails as I did so. The princess managed to get behind me enough to shove me with her shoulder, but I turned and slashed at her before the shove could take me out. My nails didn't connect with her, that I made sure of, but the princess barely stifled a yelp as she jumped back to avoid the blow. 

I grinned, the wild song of combat singing in my blood, heightening every sense as I skillfully dodged and slashed and ducked, leaping and rolling and swiping to my heart's content. From the feral gleam in Lyria's pine-green eyes I could tell she felt the same. The princess was incredible, masterful simply with a sword and her fists, and neither of us had used a drop of magic yet. 

That thought sent a surge of energy coursing through my veins, excitement running rampant through my whole body. _Magic_. I could use it. I sidestepped a sword jab from Lyria and sent my nails flying for her, but she darted out of the way. 

"There they are!" A sudden voice nearly got my arm chopped off, had the sword not been capped and I hadn't had the same witch senses I did. I whirled around to see who the hell was trying to distract me-

Of course. Of damn course it would be a Lochan. Folas stood by the edge of the courtyard, with Caeda and Dalias standing near by. Lyria turned to see what the commotion was, and she nearly dropped her sword with surprise. I was amazed she didn't boil herself up with the force of her blush, the kind that turned even the tips of her ears and her neck bright red. 

"Don't stop because of us, you two were doing great." Folas said. I caught Caeda's eye and he gave an almost imperceptible nod and grin. On one hand I was appalled he thought I needed his approval, but another part of me glowed with the praise. I leaned against the nearest tree while Lyria looked like she was about to combust on the spot. It was a miracle nothing had caught fire yet.

"If you're going to spend the rest of the day sputtering over a pretty male, then you should at least have the decency to do it from the sidelines so the rest of use can use the yard." I drawled. Lyria whipped her head around so fast I nearly got whiplash from just watching her and shot me a look of pure flame. I just grinned and nodded. 

"I'll spar with you, Nysa." Caeda offered, ever the gentleman. He strolled over and selected a weapon, a training sword similar to Lyria's. Gods, Fae and their weapons. I wondered if they ever realized that they themselves were weapons. Oh well.

I adjusted my stance again, watching as Lyria was dragged off the training ground by Folas. Caeda paced in front of me, his Fae stillness making it so his footfalls hardly made a sound. I shifted from one foot to the other, testing my weight on each side. I wasn't injured, nor was I tired in the slightest. This would be fun.

I made the first move this time, lunging for Caeda with my hands outstretched and my teeth bared. He shifted to the side, but I had anticipated that and pivoted right before I reached him so I was aimed again at his throat. This time he ducked low and came up to my side, sword held steady in his broad hands. I kicked out at his feet, nearly barreling into him, making him stumble as he avoided my claws. I rolled and came up behind him, tackling him to the ground and shoving his sword out of his hands.

Caeda rolled atop me deftly, pinning me to the grassy floor. I was able to move my foot enough to step on his toes, and his cry of pain was enough for me to shove him upwards and off of me, and I surged to my feet. Caeda was back up almost as quickly, hands curled into fists and his dark hair messy. I feinted left and struck out right, but ended up tripping on my own feet. I caught myself on him before I could eat dirt and shoved him away before he grabbed me.

Kick. Slash. Duck. Roll. The moves repeated themselves as we circled the yard over and over again, never allowing the other to take the upper hand for long. I was quicker than him, but only barely, only because I was smaller, but it was enough for me to utilize. I slipped out of his grip again with a well-placed push, and he stumbled right into my arms, where I pushed him again to the ground.

I leaped on top of him, pinning his feet with my own and his hands with my own. I realized I didn't have enough limbs to hold a weapon to his throat, but that was quickly resolved by simply opening my mouth and showing off my iron teeth.

"You win." He coughed from beneath me. I sat up, releasing his arms and legs. Both of us were breathing raggedly, and I could feel my hair frizzing up from the sweat and heat as I sat there. But despite this, I couldn't help but think just how handsome Caeda Lochan looked, with dirt on his face and his hair mussed, sitting beneath me. I didn't think twice as I leaned in and kissed him. 

It only took him a moment to melt against my mouth, and we both pretended to ignore Lyria's "Ewww" and Folas's "Get a room". 

Yes, I decided. Orynth was very much different from the Witch Kingdom. And this case, it was most definitely not a bad thing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eyy slightly longer chapter to make up for the other one being slightly shorter. Hope you enjoy! Kudos and comments are always appreciated <3
> 
> (In case you're wondering, Caeda and Nysa's song is Paris by the Chainsmokers :) )


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